Butterfly Kisses
by Vance McGill
Summary: Post DH. Pre-Epilogue. Sequel to Harry Potter and the Return to Hogwarts. This story follows the relationships of Ron and Hermione, and Harry and Ginny. Shipping: Ron/Hermione; Harry/Ginny; others. Multi-PoV. More Info Inside! COMPLETE!
1. A New Beginning

**Chapter 1  
A New Beginning**

**Summary:**

**Post DH. Pre-Epilogue. Sequel to Harry Potter and the Return to Hogwarts. This story follows the relationships of Ron and Hermione, and Harry and Ginny. The Second War has finally come to an end. Ron and Hermione are engaged, but neither are sure they want to get married anytime soon. Harry and Ginny are trying to move on to the next stage of their relationship. Ginny moves into Harry's house and both try to cope with each other as well as their new careers. Shipping: Ron/Hermione; Harry/Ginny; others. Multi-PoV.**

**Author's Note: This is the sequel to Harry Potter and the Return to Hogwarts. If you have not read that story, I strongly suggest you do, or you may be confused about some of the content in this story. This will be in Harry's PoV**.  
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Harry Potter was under attack. He was crouched on his knees, hiding behind a large stone wall. Two red beams shot over his head. Beads of sweat ran down his forehead and stung his eyes, half-blinding him. He wiped away the sweat with his free hand. In his other hand was his wand, and the best offensive spell he could think of was on the tip of his tongue.

"Psst!" a voice whispered to his right, "Harry!"

Harry turned his head. His best friend, Ron Weasley, was crouched on his knees just a few feet away. He held up two fingers. Harry knew he was using a form of sign language, which was used for occasions when they would need to use stealth.

Harry and Ron were Aurors-in-Training. They were only a few months into their training, but it was already intense.

The Ministry of Magic had offered Harry a position with the Aurors, informing him that he wouldn't even need to go through the Training. Harry had agreed at first, because he was needed for a special mission that, if successful, would end the Second War once and for all.

Harry, the Aurors, and the wizarding world itself, were victorious. The last remaining Death Eaters were either dead or in Azkaban prison, under the highest security the Ministry of Magic could give. There were very few Death Eaters alive and none of them were a large threat to the wizarding world anymore. The few that had not been killed in the final battle of the Second War had surrendered.

After the Second War had ended, Harry realized that he was not experienced enough to be an Auror without the proper training, so he enlisted into Auror training with his best friend in the world, Ron Weasley.

"Two enemies?" Harry whispered to Ron, asking for the confirmation.

Ron nodded.

"How far?" Harry asked.

Ron put up two fingers again then made a circle with his thumb and forefinger.

"Just tell me!" Harry whispered, trying to keep his voice to a minimum, "We are close enough."

"Harry," Ron whispered, "We need to know --"

"Ron," Harry interrupted him, "If we keep this up, they are going to find us. Those stunning spells were well-aimed."

"I don't think so," Ron said, "They might have been warning shots, or a trick of some sort. Perhaps they were trying to scare us into showing ourselves?"

"Perhaps," Harry said, "We can't be too sure. Where are they?"

"Twenty yards away," Ron whispered, "Maybe thirty."

"Maybe?" Harry asked, then shook his head, "Never mind. What should we do?"

"You're the leader here, mate," Ron said.

Harry sighed.

"Are they close together?" he asked.

Ron peered slightly over the wall, then ducked quickly.

"I don't see them anymore," he said.

"When you saw them," Harry said, "Were they close together?"

Ron shook his head. Harry nodded and thought for a moment. If he was the opposition, what would he do in this situation?

"They are trying to trap us," he finally said, "We need to split up."

Ron looked like he was about to argue, but stopped himself. He nodded.

"I'll go this way," Harry said, nodding behind him, "You go that way."

Ron nodded. Harry turned and crept against the wall, making sure he was hidden. When he got to the end of the wall, he peered around it. Ahead of him was a grove of trees. Inside the grove, it was so dark that he couldn't see much farther into it than the first row of trees. He looked for any sign of movement, and when he couldn't see any, he hid behind the wall.

"Harry?" Ron whispered with a hiss.

Harry looked at Ron, who pointed at his eyes, then pointed to Harry. Harry sighed. Ron was using sign language again. Harry guessed he would have to give in and use it as well, even though he wasn't an expert at reading it, especially when Ron was trying his feeble attempts at it. Harry knew Ron was asking him if he saw anything. Harry shook his head and pointed at Ron, who also shook his head. Ron pointed at himself then moved his fingers in a walking motion. He pointed at the grove of trees. Harry gave him the thumbs up. Ron disappeared behind the other side of the wall and Harry peered around his side of the wall. He watched Ron creep up slowly to the edge of the tree-line. A few moments later, Ron hid behind a large tree and peered around it. He then turned and looked at Harry and shook his head. Harry gave him the thumbs-up and sighed. It was his turn.

He moved into the open and quickly moved to the tree-line. He hid behind the nearest tree and peered around it, looking for any movement. He couldn't see anything, but as he was going to turn his head, he saw the slightest trace of movement out of the corner of his eye. It was only for a second, but he swore he saw a foot about twenty feet away. He hid behind the tree and looked at Ron, who was looking at him with a questioning gaze. He pointed to his eyes, then put one finger up then two and connected his thumb and forefinger to form a circle. Ron nodded. Harry put his free hand up, his fingers close together, and then moved his fingers in a walking motion: the instructions for "stay until you see something". He then pointed to himself then into the grove. Ron nodded.

Harry moved around the tree and ran quickly and quietly to the tree in front of him. Suddenly, he heard a "WHOOSH!" and the sound of a small boom, followed by the sound of a tree falling. Harry peered around the tree. Another tree, just a few feet ahead of him, had fallen to the ground. Parts of it had shattered. Harry knew it was the after-effects of a Reducto curse. He cursed silently. The enemy had seen him and had only missed Harry by feet. This meant the enemy knew where he was. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ron moving to another tree.

Harry peered around the tree and looked for movement. He thought he saw a wand, but it might have been a stick on a tree. Suddenly, that stick moved, and Harry knew it was someone with a wand.

"Stupefy!" Harry whispered, pointing his wand at the target.

The red beam hit the tree, sending large splinters flying. Harry saw movement, and he knew his spell had scared the enemy. Harry ran to the fallen tree and dove behind it. He crawled on the grassy floor to the trunk of the tree, his wand straight ahead. He then saw a black boot about ten yards away. His enemy had revealed himself. Harry grinned and started to move when he heard a distant explosion. He turned, fearing that Ron had been hit. He gave a sigh of relief when he saw Ron crouched behind a tree. A few feet from him, another tree had fallen; pieces of it were everywhere. Harry could tell that Ron was breathing hard. He knew he had to end this soon. But first, he would need to get the enemy near him before he could help Ron.

He turned back around and looked for the black boot once again. It was nowhere to be seen. Harry swore, but continued toward the general direction he had seen the boot. He heard another "WHOOSH!" just in time and ducked as a red beam flew over his head, missing him by inches. His enemy had seen him once again. Harry inhaled and stood up.

"Stupefy!" he yelled, pointing his wand straight ahead.

Harry heard a thud, similar to that of a body hitting the ground. He crept along the trees until he discovered the stunned form of his enemy laying on the ground.

"One more," he whispered, and hid behind another tree.

He looked around for Ron, and found him creeping along the trees. He wondered if Ron had seen the other enemy. He crept along the trees until he got a few yards behind Ron.

"Psst!" Harry whispered.

Ron turned around and pointed his wand. He then sighed.

"I could have hit you!" he whispered.

"One enemy is down," Harry whispered, "Where is the other one?"

"Somewhere ahead of us," Ron whispered.

Harry nodded and looked around. He then saw what resembled a stick, but wasn't going to be fooled this time. He knew it was a wand.

"Cover me," he whispered to Ron.

Ron nodded and Harry walked ahead of him.

"Reducto!" Harry yelled, pointing his wand at the tree, where he saw the wand.

He saw the enemy dive to the ground to get away from the tree. The spell hit its mark, and the whole tree exploded, but Harry was only focused on his enemy. He hurried, not caring about stealth and found the enemy. His enemy saw him too and pointed his wand.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry yelled, before his enemy could say anything.

The wand flew away from the man's hand and Harry ran up to him, pointing his wand at him.

"I surrender!" the man said, raising his hands.

"Training exercise is over," a loud voice said somewhere above Harry, "Potter and Weasley are victorious."

Suddenly, the trees and grass vanished around Harry, and it was soon revealed he was standing in a large room. White floors and walls surrounded him. The only sound was applause. Harry looked up and saw a man hovering on a broomstick high above him. The man landed swiftly on the ground a few feet away from Harry.

This man's name was Rolph Shippe. He was one of the higher-ranked training officials of the Auror Division.

"Excellent session, Harry," Shippe said, "You too, Ron."

Harry looked over his shoulder and noticed Ron was walking over to him.

"Billingsly!" Shippe said, "Revive your teammate and hit the showers!"

"Yes, sir," Billingsly said, getting to his feet.

"Don't forget your wand," Shippe said.

Billingsly grumbled and walked over to his wand.

"What was that, Billingsly?" Shippe asked.

"Nothing sir," Billingsly said, his face going red, "Just congratulating Potter and Weasley."

"Apparently they couldn't hear you," Shippe said.

Billingsly cleared his throat and looked at Harry and Ron.

"Nice session," he said.

"Thanks mate," Harry said.

Billingsley nodded, picked up his wand and walked in the direction of his Stunned teammate.

"You two continue to impress me," Shippe said to Harry and Ron, "Though I have to say I did notice a few faults today."

"Faults, sir?" Harry asked.

"Too much chatting," Shippe said, "You need to improve on your sign language techniques and your non-verbal spell work. You were lucky that Billingsly and Thorpe need to improve on their accuracy."

"You're telling me!" Ron exclaimed, "I was this close from being impaled by the debris from a tree."

"Nonsense," Shippe grinned, "The trees are illusions. They would have passed right through you. "

"Illusions?! " Ron asked, "Rubbish! Our spells hit them like they were solid!"

"Part of the illusion, Weasley, "Shippe said, "While we are on the subject, how did you like the landscape?"

"It looked pretty real to me," Harry said, "But I must ask, sir. Why did you pick a grove of trees? There are very few places like that around England, right?"

"You have to be ready for every possible situation, Potter," Shippe said, "While it is true that you will be fighting in buildings and on streets most of the time, there are a few occasions where you will be fighting in places like that grove."

"Yes, sir," Harry said.

"You will be happy to know you were the first Aurors-in-Training to use this room," Shippe said. "It is a new concept that the Ministry has decided to use, and it gives Aurors a hands-on experience. You can thank the Minister of Magic for that idea. Anyway, I think you two deserve a break. Hit the showers and you can start your weekend early. Your prize for winning the training session."

"Thanks, sir," Harry and Ron said.

Harry and Ron left the room and headed for the showers.

"New concept," Ron scoffed, "Right. It's a feeble imitation of the Room of Requirement if you ask me."

Harry grinned and nodded.

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"So what do you say?" Ron asked, as he and Harry reached the Atrium of the Ministry, "A late lunch at the Leaky Cauldron?"

"Sure," Harry said.

Harry and Ron apparated and arrived at the Leaky Cauldron a few moments later. They walked over to a vacant table by the window and sat down.

"I suppose I'm buying, eh?" Harry asked, "As always?"

"Hey, I am trying to save up!" Ron said.

"Good afternoon, gentleman," Tom said, walking over to their table, "What will it be?"

Over Tom's shoulder, Harry noticed the blackboard near the bar. It read: "Friday Special: Fish and Chips and your choice of pie. Two Galleons."

"I'll have the special today," he said to Tom, "And a butterbeer."

"Same for me, Tom," Ron said.

"Coming up!" Tom said.

He walked away from the table.

"So I take it you are still trying to get that flat here in London?" Harry asked Ron.

"Of course," Ron said, "Hermione and I can't live at the Burrow for the rest of our lives, no matter how much Mum likes the concept. Besides, I want to be closer to the Ministry. I swear, if I keep up my almost-daily trips of using the Floo Network, I'll never get the lingering smell of soot away from me. Plus, Hermione is going to be working in the Ministry soon, and she wants to be close to the Ministry as well."

"She still has that interview on Monday, right?" Harry asked.

"Yep," Ron said.

"What is she going for, again?" Harry asked.

"Court Scribe, I think," Ron said, then scoffed, "She could have any job she wants, and she picks Court Scribe? I keep telling her that she could do much better, especially with the results she got on her NEWTs. Did I tell you she told me that if she doesn't get hired soon, she is going to try to start up S.P.E.W again?!"

Harry laughed, though knowing Hermione Granger as well as he did, he knew she was probably very serious about it.

"Speaking of leaving the Burrow," Ron said, "Have you talked to Ginny lately?"

"She sent me a letter a couple days ago," Harry said.

"So that is where Frederique went," Ron said, "Mum was trying to find him. She wanted to send a letter to Bill and Fleur. Probably wanting to know how Victoire is doing. I swear she wants to know how Victoire is every other day. I'm surprised Bill hasn't banned our owls from Shell Cottage. Anyway, what did Ginny want?"

"She's told me she's going to have that talk with your parents this weekend," Harry said.

"Really?" Ron asked with a sigh, "Guess I will have to be cautious this weekend. I don't want to be anywhere near Ginny or my parents when that discussion is going on."

"Relax, mate," Harry said, chuckling, "It won't be that bad!"

"We are talking about the same discussion, right?" Ron asked, eyebrows raised.

"If you mean the discussion," Harry said, "where Ginny wants to tell them she wants to move in with me, then yeah."

"I don't know why she had to wait until now," Ron said.

"Quidditch training starts next month," Harry said, shrugging.

"That is what I am talking about," Ron said, nodding, "She's cutting this pretty close."

Harry nodded. He had to agree.

Ginny wanted to move in with him in order to be closer to the Holyhead Harpies' training camp, which was taking place about twenty miles north of London in a secluded location. Harry knew that Ginny couldn't afford a place near the camp and that she would have to resort to traveling. The best way to do that which would be to apparate. Ginny didn't trust apparating very far, but she had told Harry she would be fine if she lived in London. Harry knew this was probably an excuse, albeit a good one, to live with him. He was happy to invite her into his home. It was very lonely living alone in his grandparents' old house, even if he had the usual twice-a-week visits by his neighbor: a nice, elderly Muggle woman who had been friends with Harry's grandparents and father.

A moment later, Tom walked over to the table, a tray floating alongside him.

"Two Specials with Butterbeer," he said, handing Harry and Ron their plates, "Give me the heads-up when you are finished and desert will follow."

"Thanks, Tom," Harry said.

"Before I forget," Tom said, "Ron, have you spoken to George lately?"

"Not since he and Angelina got back from their honeymoon," Ron said, shaking his head, "Why?"

"Customers of mine keep wondering when his shop will re-open," Tom said.

Weasley Wizard Wheezes in Diagon Alley had been destroyed at the beginning of the year by Death Eaters. The attack had been the result of the Death Eaters trying to steal products that George had been creating. It had been reduced to rubble and had been blocked off by Ministry workers. The store in Hogsmeade, which had replaced Zonko's the previous year, was the temporary headquarters at the moment.

"Last time I heard," Ron said, "The place was close to being rebuilt."

"It's one of the greatest sources of income for Diagon Alley," Tom said, "I know a lot of people who would like to see it reopen."

"If I talk to George," Ron said, "I will pass that message on to him."

"Good," Tom said, "Enjoy your lunch, boys."

Harry and Ron smiled, and Tom walked off.

"I've been wondering, Harry," Ron said, "Have you thought about getting a new owl? You don't have any way of sending letters now unless it is a response. I'm not trying to offend the memory of Hedwig, but --"

"I know, Ron," Harry said, "Yes, I've been thinking about it. I guess I could get a new one after we get through here."

"I think it would be a good idea," Ron said, "Especially if Ginny is going to move in with you soon."

Harry nodded. After lunch, Harry and Ron went to the Owl Emporium in Diagon Alley. Harry looked around at the owls.

"Have one in mind?" Ron asked.

"I don't know," Harry said.

"What about an eagle owl?" Ron asked, "Oh, wait, that's what Malfoy has, never mind. Oh, damn! I forgot. Harry, I need to go get some more Floo Powder. We're almost out at the Burrow. I will do that now while you are getting an owl. See you back at the Leaky Cauldron."

Harry nodded. He continued to look around. A few minutes later, he saw a black and grey owl staring at him.

"How about you?" Harry said quietly to the owl.

The owl hooted.

"I see you have your eye on Ares," the clerk behind the desk said.

"Err… Ares?" Harry said, his attention still on the owl.

"He once belonged to a friend of mine," the clerk said, "My friend died during the Second War."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Harry said.

"Ares found his way here last September," the clerk said, "I knew who he was, and wondered why he had gone so far from his home. Well, a few hours later, I was told of his owner's death. Some people are afraid of Ares. They say he is unlucky. But I say it's rubbish. Ares is a wonderful owl."

"Well, if he was your friend's owl," Harry said, "I'd hate for you to lose him."

"You look like a good wizard," the clerk said, "I think my friend would have been happy to know that Ares has found a good home. He is a trustworthy owl."

"Well, if you insist," Harry said, "I think I'll take him."

The clerk smiled and Harry took the cage. He paid for Ares, then walked back to the Leaky Cauldron. He spotted Ron at the bar when he arrived.

"Nice choice, Harry," Ron said, looking at the owl, "He looks a bit -- well, scary."

Ares poked his head forward and clapped his beak.

"I think you hurt Ares' feelings," Harry said.

Ron scoffed.

"Well, I guess you probably want to take him home," he said, "I should get back to the Burrow anyway. See you Monday?"

"If not before then," Harry said.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Ron said, "Mum wants you to come over for your birthday. I know it isn't for a couple of weeks, but she wanted me to tell you. I think she is planning a party."

"Of course she is," Harry grinned, "Tell her I will be there."

"She'll be happy to hear it," Ron said, "See you, mate!"

He walked over to the fireplace and stepped in it. A moment later, he disappeared up in flames.

"Beautiful owl, Harry," Tom said.

"Thanks, Tom," Harry said, "His name is Ares."

"After the Greek God of War," Tom said, "Interesting. Hope it isn't a sign of things to come, eh? Guess we're lucky we got Aurors like you in the wizarding world."

"Auror-in-Training," Harry corrected him.

"Of course," Tom said.

Harry magically transported Ares and his cage to the house, then apparated.

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**Well, this is only the start of the story. I hope you like it.**

**I have a couple ideas for the next few chapters, but I will need more before I continue this story much farther.**

**Feedback would be welcomed!**


	2. The Talk

**Chapter 2  
The Talk**

**Author's Note: This will be in Ginny PoV. During the chapter, I will still call her parents Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.  
**

Ginny Weasley woke up on Saturday morning. It was still early in the morning at the Burrow. Ginny could only see the sun a bit over the horizon. She dressed and walked down to the bottom floor. Her parents were in the kitchen.

"Do you have to go into work today, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked her husband.

"Only if I am unlucky, Molly," Mr. Weasley said, his face hidden behind the Daily Prophet.

"I thought Kingsley wanted you to meet with the Muggle Prime Minister," Mrs. Weasley said.

"I have an appointment with him Monday," Mr. Weasley said, "You know, I think he is finally getting used to my weekly visits? He doesn't look flustered when I Floo into his office anymore. Perhaps he has other reasons to be flustered. The new millennium begins soon, and he's expecting London to be packed. That is why I have to meet him. He wants me to assure him that there won't be any… err… I think he used the phrase 'evil voodoo magic' to ruin his big party. I have lost count on how many times I've told him that he has nothing to worry about."

"Poor man," Mrs. Weasley said, "Maybe I should make something for him. Nobody says no to my pies, you know! Morning, Ginny! You're up early."

"I-I know," Ginny said, failing to stifle a yawn, as she sat down at the table, "I wanted to get in some early Quidditch training by the barn. I thought Ron would be awake. He said he would help me train."

"Maybe you should take a day off, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, "I keep telling you that you're going to tire yourself out before it's time for the training camp."

"I'll be fine, Mum," Ginny said.

Ginny had been trying to get in as much pre-camp training as she could over the past few weeks. She figured she wouldn't have a chance once she moved up to London… whenever that was. She still hadn't set up a date to move in with Harry. She hadn't even told her parents that she was going to move in with Harry. Earlier in the week, she had decided to tell them sometime during the weekend. Now it was the weekend, and she couldn't figure how to break it to them. She could tell them now: it was seemingly the perfect time. Perhaps her Mum would be too tired to react too badly.

It was true. She didn't know exactly how her parents were going to react to her decision. Over the past couple of nights, before she went to bed, Ginny had rehearsed the discussion over in her mind. She would say it was only for her career, and she would have better access to the training camp if she lived in London. She could save the little money she got for the signing bonus by moving in with Harry. Harry had already told her that she could move in, so that wasn't going to be a problem. Of course, she knew that Harry would never have turned that down. He was alone in his house and the only company was that neighbor of his.

Ginny hadn't been able to talk to Harry face-to-face since George and Angelina's wedding. He had been so busy with Auror training, that his only free time was on weekends. Of course, Ron got to see him every weekday, since he was going through Auror training as well. Ginny had long given up asking him how Harry was every day, knowing that her persistent questions would only annoy him sooner or later.

Besides, Ron was busy, even when he was home. There were very few moments when he and Hermione weren't spending time together. It was getting to the point where Ginny began to wonder whether either of the two were getting annoyed by the other one's presence.

Suddenly, a loud hoot broke Ginny from her thoughts.

"Frederique's back, Mum," she said, rolling her eyes.

Frederique was the Weasley family's new owl. Bill and Fleur had given them the owl for Christmas. He was the replacement for Errol, whom in Ginny's opinion was lucky to still be alive, given his age. At first, Ginny liked Frederique, and the owl seemed to like her. At least to the point where the owl chose not to dig his sharp talons into her arm when Ginny handled him. But recently, the owl's loud hoots were enough to drive anyone crazy. The only good thing about it was that the gnomes seemed to hate it as well, and there were very few in the yard these days.

Mrs. Weasley opened the window, and Frederique flew into the house. Ginny noticed that a piece of parchment was in its talons.

"I was beginning to worry about him," Mrs. Weasley said, "I sent him to Bill's last night. I guess Fleur let the owl stay over for the night. It is a pretty long trip, to be honest, and Fleur loves the owl, of course."

Frederique perched himself on the fireplace, and Mrs. Weasley left the kitchen. She returned a few moments later, reading the piece of parchment.

"Oh, wonderful!" she exclaimed, "Bill and Fleur are going to come over today. They will bring Victoire of course. I've been wanting them to visit, but it is a bit of a hassle for them to come, of course. Victoire is still too young to travel by magical means. I don't envy Bill and Fleur. Do you remember all that travel we had to do in the car when the children were Victoire's age, Arthur?"

"Hmm? Oh yes," Mr. Weasley said, behind the Daily Prophet, "Though I can't complain. If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't be fascinated with car engines and those contraptions."

Mrs. Weasley muttered something, but it was silenced over the sound of footsteps from above. Ron and Hermione walked down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Good morning, dears," Mrs. Weasley said.

"M-morning, Mum," Ron said, with a yawn.

"Do you still want to train with me?" Ginny asked Ron.

"I just got up, Ginny!" Ron said, "Besides, I won't be able to concentrate unless I've had something to eat."

"Oh, go on," Mrs. Weasley said, "Breakfast won't be done for a little while."

"Let's go, Ron," Hermione said, "It will give you a good appetite, and I'll watch!"

"Fine," Ron muttered.

Ginny, Ron and Hermione walked out of the Burrow and up to the barn. The area near the barn was the only secluded area around the Burrow where they could fly on their broomsticks. It was surrounded by large trees, so it was out of Muggle eye-sight. A few magical precautions had also been placed over the years so that the occasional plane wouldn't be able to come near if anyone was flying their broom.

The barn and its surroundings were also not the perfect choice for Quidditch. They could only play half-pitch Quidditch, given the size. The barn's door and windows were used for the rings, and they were uneven and nothing like the standard Quidditch rings. And because of the magical precautions, none of the balls could fly past the tree-line nor the barn. But the Weasleys had practiced this way for many years and they were used to all the restrictions by now.

"So how should we do this?" Ron asked, as he and Ginny walked into the barn to retrieve their brooms.

"Chaser versus Keeper," Ginny said, "And we'll use a Bludger as well."

"We don't have a Beater," Ron said.

"The Bludger can fly around wildly," Ginny said, waving a dismissive hand, "We've done that before."

"No bloody way!" Ron exclaimed, "Have you forgotten? Hermione is going to be watching us. She could get hit!"

"Fine," Ginny said, with a sigh, "No Bludger."

"Good," Ron said.

Ginny grabbed the Quaffle from the box. It wasn't a standard Quidditch Quaffle, but it worked well. Ginny and Ron walked out of the barn, mounted their brooms and flew off into the sky.

"Chaser versus Keeper" was the term used for standard Quidditch practice. Because of the home-made Pitch, it wasn't anything as close to normal Quidditch practice and games, especially when there was only one Chaser. Ginny wouldn't be able to pass the ball to any one, which meant she couldn't confuse Ron. She wouldn't be able to fly around the barn, because it was out of bounds past the door and windows. Today, it was all about skill: Ginny's skill at accuracy, and Quaffle-throwing, and Ron's skill of blocking the rings.

"So we play to one-hundred?" Ron suggested.

"Sure!" Ginny said.

Because of the limits of the area, the Weasleys had to make up some of their own rules. For one-on-one sessions like this, they had their own points system. Because the door was so much lower than the windows of the barn, it was harder to get the ball through it. Every time the Quaffle made it through the door, however, it would be twenty points. The two windows were ten points each. Every time the Keeper caught the Quaffle, they would get ten points if it was aimed for the windows; twenty if it was aimed for the door.

Ginny juggled the Quaffle between her hands and studied Ron's concentration. She inhaled, and exhaled, then flew at top speeds around the tree-line. She made a beeline for the barn and threw the Quaffle toward the left window. Ron lunged toward it, and barely missed it, as it sailed through!

"Ten-zero!" Ginny said, "Me!"

"Lucky shot," Ron muttered, as he retreated into the barn to get the Quaffle.

He threw the Quaffle back to Ginny, who caught it. She turned around and flew back to the tree-line.

"Window or door," she muttered to herself, studying the rings. She looked at Ron, then grinned. "Door."

She flew off toward the barn and dived toward the ground. She dragged her feet just above the ground, which was one of her favorite things to do. The thrill of it always gave her a jolt of adrenaline. She flew back into the sky. Once she was near the barn, she aimed the Quaffle toward the door. This time, Ron noticed what she was doing, and flew toward the Quaffle, grabbing it by his fingertips! Ginny swore.

"Twenty-ten in favor of me!" Ron said, grinning, as he threw the Quaffle back to Ginny.

"Nice catch, Ron!" Hermione cheered from the sidelines.

Ron winked at Hermione, and Ginny rolled her eyes as she flew back to the tree-line.

Fifteen minutes later, Ginny was up seventy to fifty. Ginny hadn't made a door-shot yet, even though she had tried once more.

She stopped at the tree-line and flew higher into the air, then took a nose-dive as she headed for the barn. The rush of wind coming toward her was too strong for her to lift the Quaffle, and she knew she was going to have to steady herself. She decided for a surprise shot. Ron was looking up at her, probably expecting the Quaffle to come at him at any time. When Ginny got in line of the windows, she stopped to a sudden halt. Ron looked surprised, and Ginny took her chance. She faked the Quaffle toward the left window and aimed it to the right. It sailed through, as Ron fell for the fake and lunged toward the left.

"Eighty-fifty," Ginny said to herself, as Ron retrieved the Quaffle, "If I can make a door-shot, I will win. If Ron catches it, he will be back in the running though."

Ron passed the Quaffle back to her and Ginny flew back to the tree-line.

"I have to do this," Ginny said, "All or nothing."

She took a deep breath and headed for the barn at top speed. She flew as if she was headed for the windows, then twenty feet from the barn, she dove toward the ground. Before Ron could tell what she was doing, she threw the Quaffle toward the doorway. She held her breath as Ron lunged for it. He missed it by an inch and it sailed through!

"The winner!" Hermione said, "Ginny!"

Ginny and Ron landed on the ground.

"I had a feeling you were going for the doorway," Ron said, "I should have gone with it."

"I got lucky," Ginny said.

"Great game!" Hermione said.

"Yeah, it was," Ron said, "Anyway, I'm starving!"

Ginny realized she was starving as well, so she and Ron stored their brooms in the barn and, with Hermione, they walked back to the Burrow.

"Are you going to have that discussion with Mum and Dad today?" Ron asked Ginny, as they headed for the Burrow.

"What?" Ginny asked.

"Well, you haven't told them you want to move in with Harry, right?" Ron asked.

"Oh," Ginny said, in realization, "No, I haven't. I guess I should do it before too long if Bill and Fleur are coming over today."

"They are?" Ron asked.

"Mum wrote to them last night," Ginny said.

"Figures," Ron said, "Well, just warn me when you talk to Mum and Dad about it. I don't want to be anywhere in the vicinity."

Ginny rolled her eyes.

-----------------------------------------------  
It was soon nearing noon, and Ginny had still delayed her fateful discussion with her parents. She knew it wouldn't be that bad, but she still wasn't too sure how they would react. She then decided that she would put it off until Bill, Fleur and Victoire arrived, figuring that it might be a little easier with Bill there.

Suddenly, Mrs. Weasley's announcement rang through the house that Bill, Fleur and Victoire had arrived. She was already halfway up the driveway when Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and Mr. Weasley walked out of the Burrow. She embraced Bill in a hug, then Fleur. Ginny's mother had become much closer to Fleur ever since Victoire was born.

"How is my granddaughter?" Mrs. Weasley asked, with joy, as Ginny and the others caught up.

"Very tired, Mum," Bill said, "It was a long trip, but she slept most of the way."

"She eez a very quiet baby, thank goodness," Fleur said.

"Are you hungry?" Mrs. Weasley asked, "I've been preparing a big lunch."

"Of course we are," Bill said.

"I offered to make a big breakfast this morning," Fleur said, "But Bill was afraid he wouldn't have room for your wonderful cooking, Molly."

A hint of blush rose on Molly's cheeks. Fleur didn't notice, as she was busy opening the back door of the car. She unfastened Victoire's baby seat and carefully lifted it out of the car.

"Do you have to bring in the seat, dear?" Bill asked.

"I don't want to wake Victoire up, Bill" Fleur said, "She eez still very tired."

"It gets so heavy, though," Bill said, "Let me take it in, then."

"Oh, very well," Fleur said, with a sigh.

Bill walked over and lifted up the baby seat. Fleur grabbed the purple diaper bag, and they walked toward the Burrow and everyone followed.

"Let me help with lunch, Molly," Fleur said, as Mrs. Weasley walked toward the kitchen.

"Nonsense, you're a guest," Mrs. Weasley said.

"I insist!" Fleur said.

"Oh, all right," Mrs. Weasley said, with a sigh, "It's a family recipe. Maybe I can teach it to you, then."

"Wonderful!" Fleur exclaimed.

Bill put the baby seat onto one of the chairs around the table. Ginny and Hermione walked over to it.

"Now, girls," Mrs. Weasley said, almost in a scolding tone, "Don't wake her up."

"We won't, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione ensured her.

"I swear," Ginny said, "Victoire keeps growing every time I see her."

"Ginny's right," Mrs. Weasley said. "You know, Fleur, I think I have some of Ginny's old baby clothes. They might be able to fit her."

"Fleur's mother has already given us some of Fleur and Gabriella's baby clothes, Mum," Bill said, "She insists on giving us hand-me-downs, so I think we have enough."

"Nonsense!" Mrs. Weasley said again, "You can never have enough baby clothes! Why, when Ron was a baby, we had to use some of your baby clothes because Ron went through his quickly."

Hermione giggled.

"Mum!" Ron said, embarrassed.

--------------------------------------------

Half an hour later, lunch was ready and everyone was seated around the table.

"So, Ron," Bill said, "How is Auror training?"

"Pretty good, I guess," Ron said, shrugging.

"Oh, don't be so modest, Ron," Mr. Weasley said, "I've had a discussion recently with one of your trainers. He is very impressed."

"That's great," Bill said, "It is very hard to impress wizards like that. Especially Aurors. They are a rare breed."

"That eez true," Fleur said, "But I must wonder. The Second War eez over. The Aurors aren't going to have much work now, are they?"

"Being an Auror isn't just about fighting in wars, Fleur," Mr. Weasley said, "Aurors were around long before the First War even started. While it is true that Aurors have become much more important and, in a sense, much more popular since the Wars, they still have very important roles in the wizarding world. A select few are used for defending the Ministry and the Minister himself, while others are used to defend Azkaban, though that has only come into effect recently, of course. Many others are used to apprehend the common criminal. But everyone in the wizarding world knows there will always be the chance of a new threat to us. That is why more and more wizards and witches have decided to become Aurors."

"And even then," Bill said, "Not everyone of them are destined to become Aurors."

"Ron will be a great Auror," Hermione said, "He's already proved that."

Ron blushed.

"Speaking of that," Bill said, "Ginny, are you ready for your Quidditch training camp? When is that, next month?"

Ginny nodded.

"I've been practicing enough," Ginny said.

"Almost too much," Mrs. Weasley said, "She insists on training almost every day, if not every day. I keep telling her she is going to tire herself out by the time the camp comes around. There is such things as doing something too much."

At this, Victoire opened her eyes and started to cry.

"Ooh," Fleur said, "I think someone needs to be changed. Excusé moi."

"I can help, Fleur," Mrs. Weasley said.

"No, I can handle eet," Fleur said, standing up and taking Victoire out of her seat.

"All right, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, with a sigh, "You can use my bedroom."

Fleur nodded and picked up the diaper bag, then walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Ginny then realized that there was no better time than now to have that discussion.

"There is a reason I've been training a lot," Ginny said.

"Oh?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"I just have this feeling I won't be able to have much of a chance before too long," Ginny said.

Ginny looked at Hermione and Ron, who nodded.

"Harry and I have been sending letters back and forth over the past couple of weeks," Ginny continued. She quickened her words, afraid that if she stopped she wouldn't be able to say everything. "And I've come to a decision. The Harpies' training camp is much too far from here for me, and I know that between training, and traveling, I would get exhausted quickly. I can't apparate from here to the camp and back without increasing the chance of splinching myself. And while I would appreciate it, Dad, I can't expect you to be able to take me to the camp, as well as be able to go to work, everyday. So I think it would be best for me if I was closer to the camp. What I am trying to say, Mum and Dad, is that I want to move to London and live with Harry."

Ginny felt that she did very well, but, at the same time, she felt as if her parents would argue with her. There was no expression in her parents' faces, so she couldn't figure out their reaction.

"Harry has already said I could move in with him," she added, "So that isn't going to be any trouble. I know that I won't be able to train any more because we will be so close to Muggles, and that is why I've been training so much here."

"Well, you've certainly thought a lot about this," Mr. Weasley finally said, "That is easy to see."

"I don't know," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Molly, it's hard not to agree with what she's said," Mr. Weasley said, "It's true. I wouldn't always be able to take her to camp, and it is a long way from here to there. I'd hate for her to splinch herself because it was so far. Not to mention that she is going to be too tired to be able to apparate all the time, especially such a long distance."

"I agree with Dad," Bill said, "If Harry has already given her permission, then I'd say it would be okay."

Mrs. Weasley didn't immediately answer, and Ginny could tell that her mother was having a battle inside her mind. Give Ginny permission to move out of the Burrow, even though the thought of it was hard to bear? Or refuse and possibly endanger her life and the chances of a successful career?

"It wouldn't mean that I would leave here forever," Ginny said, "I'd visit whenever possible, of course. And you could always visit us. Harry wouldn't refuse a request for you to visit, you know. And I wouldn't leave right away. Training camp doesn't start for another month. I still have time."

"You certainly make a good argument, Ginny," Mrs. Weasley said, "I couldn't refuse even if I wanted to. Your father says yes, so I guess I will say yes too."

"Thank you," Ginny said, relieved.

Before Ginny could say anymore, she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Fleur had returned.

"Victoire decided she was hungry as well," she said, walking into the kitchen with Victoire in her arms, and the diaper bag over her shoulder, "So my absence was a little longer zan I expected."

"That's to be expected, of course," Mrs. Weasley said.

She then got into yet another story of when one of the children, Bill this time, was a baby. Bill's face was a delicate shade of red all the way through. Mrs. Weasley seemed so attached to Victoire all afternoon, and the two of them had fallen asleep for a few hours in one of the large, comfortable chairs in the living room. Meanwhile, more discussions between Hermione and the Weasley family went on. Bill, Fleur and Victoire left a little after five-o-clock, only after Bill had to insist that it would be very late by the time they got home if they didn't leave then.

-----------------------------------------------

**Another chapter finished!**

**I thought Ginny's discussion about moving in with Harry would last a little longer, but it seems everything was perfect, so I kept it at a minimum.**

**As I said at the end of the last chapter, I need to think of more ideas for the story before I continue this much further. I am also trying to work on my own original story, which I hope to publish in the future, so I am dealing with two things at once. So the next chapter might not be up for a while.**

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Feedback would be welcomed!**


	3. Telephone Etiquette

**Chapter 3  
Telephone Etiquette**

**Author's Note: This will be in Hermione's PoV.**

Hermione woke up on Sunday morning in Bill's old bedroom. She didn't get out of bed immediately, but only stared up at the blank, yellowish-brown ceiling. The faded colors of the ceiling were even more indistinguishable, as Hermione began her early morning thoughts that she normally went through as she tried to wake herself from the night's sleep.

She looked around the bedroom. It had been designated as Hermione's bedroom for as long as she remained at the Burrow. The only time she would have to resort to the old option, was if Bill, Fleur and Victoire decided to visit for more than a day. The "old option" was sleeping on that flimsy, old cot in Ginny's room.

Ginny was happy to have her room to herself again, though as Ron's parents learned the previous day, Ginny wouldn't need her room for too much longer. Hermione, as well as Ron, were happy enough that Ginny was moving in with Harry. Hermione could tell that Ginny was slightly unhappy being away from Harry for so long. She knew that Ginny was jealous of her and Ron. It was not normal jealously, though. It was only to the point that Hermione and Ron's continued close proximity to each other had become unbearable for her. Though as Hermione thought more and more about it, she figured it couldn't be any more unbearable than when Ron had his short fling with Lavender Brown.

It was true, Hermione and Ron hadn't been apart very long since she had moved into the Burrow. The only time Ron was away, was during Auror training. Hermione and Ron's relationship was very advanced for the time they had been a couple, though they hadn't taken those ultimate steps of true love. But their feelings for each other wasn't too much of a surprise, given the fact that they had been best friends since they were eleven. They had their ups and their downs, fights and make-ups, but in the end it had brought them closer together.

While it was true that Hermione and Ron were engaged, there was no foreseen date for the wedding, something that both were agreed upon. Neither were past their teen years, and they were barely graduates of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Second War was over, so there was no real reason for Hermione and Ron to speed up their romance, which was perfectly fine for the young couple.

The only major step they wanted to take, as soon as possible, was the fact that they wanted a place of their own. Even if there was the chance it would be a small one bedroom apartment, they were fine with it. It didn't matter whether or not they were comfortable enough to sleep in the same bed so early in their relationship, no matter how advanced it was. Both were capable of coming up with the best accommodations to suit their needs.

Hermione's dreams of her and Ron moving into a house of their own weren't as selfish as one would think. More to the point, it would be more convenient than anything. If Ron could get his way, the house would be in London. This meant that it would be closer to the Ministry of Magic. The cost of the bag-a-week usage of Floo Powder was already digging its way into the Weasley's small sum of money. True, Ron was able to dip into his fund from the money he got during Auror training, but he was trying to save his earnings for the house. Hermione was trying to get a job at the Ministry (her interview would be the following day) and if she was able to start her job, it would just dig deeper into the Floo Powder fund. Both Ron and Hermione were aware of this, and that is why they wanted to get their house as soon as possible.

Though, in Hermione's opinion, Ron hadn't put much thought to a house in the past few days… or if he did, Hermione hadn't heard anything about it.

A knock on the door interrupted Hermione's thoughts. Hermione smiled, knowing it was Ron. She and Ron always had their private discussions early in the morning, before the house would become active with chatter and wandering eyes.

"I'm awake, Ron," Hermione said.

The door opened a moment later, and Ron walked in, completely clothed for the new day. Hermione smiled privately, knowing that Ron hadn't been able to get over his childish fear of having his fiancée see him in his pajamas.

"Good morning, my love," Ron said, closing the door.

Hermione tried to respond, but a yawn deemed her incapable of one.

"Just wake up?" Ron asked.

"A few minutes ago," Hermione said, "You?"

"I've been up for about a half-an-hour," Ron said, "Already took a shower."

As Ron sat at the end of the bed, Hermione had only noticed then that his hair was still a bit damp.

"That's a bit of a role-reversal," Hermione said, surprised, "Isn't it me who is always awake at least an hour or so before you?"

Ron shrugged, but Hermione heard a small laugh under his breath.

"I guess I couldn't sleep any longer today," he said, "I had too many thoughts in my head, and they were interfering with my dreams."

"Oh?" Hermione asked, curious.

She didn't know if she was more curious about his dreams or his thoughts. Though, she knew that if Ron's dreams were anything like hers, he wouldn't have been able to wipe the blush from his cheeks that usually matched his adorable ginger-red hair.

"Ginny's conversation with my parents yesterday didn't scare me as much as I thought it would," Ron said, "It actually made me think."

"Looks like you've done a lot of thinking recently," Hermione said, holding back a laugh.

"Probably enough for a year or more," Ron said, grinning.

Hermione couldn't help but laugh.

"It seems strange to think," Ron said, "that this house that was once full of children, will be soon empty to the point that it will almost be a ghost town. Ginny is moving in with Harry before too long. I think I heard her telling Bill that she planned on moving with Harry soon after his next birthday."

"When was this?" Hermione asked, "I thought she would have told me first."

"I think the idea of it scares her," Ron said, "And she could only confide the idea with a close family member."

Hermione was about to respond with a "What am I? A stranger?" response, when she realized that Ron was probably right. As much as she wanted to believe she was a part of the Weasley family, Hermione wasn't close enough just yet. No matter how much the engagement ring on her finger said otherwise.

"I don't think she wanted to talk about it with Mum and Dad," Ron said, "She had already heard their decision, and if you remember, Mum was conked out on the old love seat with Victoire all afternoon. While Dad approves of the decision more than Mum does, Ginny still believes any further discussion could change Dad's mind."

"And Bill's her oldest brother," Hermione said, understanding.

"Even if that wasn't true," Ron said, "I don't think she would have confided in me. I was surprised she let me hear the conversation. I don't know if you have noticed or not, but I think Ginny's trying to avoid us."

"I've noticed," Hermione said, with a frown, "And while I disapprove and think she is being unfair, I can't blame her. But what can you do?"

That last bit was supposed to be rhetorical, but of course that whole concept went through one of Ron's ears and out the other.

"I don't think I could do anything," he answered, "Like I said, I was surprised she let me within listening range."

"All right, let's have it," Hermione said, "What did she say?"

"Nothing too bad," Ron said, shrugging, "If I could put it simply, I would say her birthday present to Harry is moving in with him, and if she got her way, her last moments here at the Burrow would be the time before Harry returned back to his house."

"She wants to move in with him on his birthday?" Hermione asked, incredulously.

"I guess so," Ron said, shrugging, "But like you, I can't blame her. She's madly in love with Harry."

"Are you okay with that?" Hermione asked, knowing Ron's protective side when it came to his sister.

"My feelings are the same they were before Ginny decided to move in with Harry," Ron said, "Comparing to every boy at Hogwarts, and every boy I've ever known, I know no one better for Ginny than Harry."

Hermione raised her eyebrows. She was very surprised about this.

"Why?" Ron said, in a suspicious tone, "Are you okay with it?"

"My only concerns are that she is taking this a little too quickly," Hermione said.

"Are you serious?" Ron asked. It was his turn to be surprised. "We may be older than Ginny, but technically we have been out of Hogwarts no longer than she has. And if you remember, Ginny and Harry have been together longer than we have, if you don't count their short separation from each other. Besides, if you want to compare their relationship to ours, I think we're the ones who are moving too quickly. Look at us. We're engaged and we aren't out of our teens."

"Yes, but that is why we have no plans to get married any time soon," Hermione said, "As far as that goes, are rings are no more than promise rings, even though the promise is much bigger than just an adolescent gift."

"You don't see our engagement any more than that?" Ron asked, frowning.

Hermione gasped. Had she really said it in a way that made it sound that bad?

"Of course not!" she said, quickly, "As I've told you many times, this engagement ring means more to me than any other piece of jewelry I could have in my life. I didn't mean that at all. I'm just saying that we are no closer to getting married than if we were just a couple. But that is only because we know better. It doesn't mean I don't love you any less. In fact, I love you more."

Ron's expression turned from sadness and shock to one of sudden comprehension.

"But what does that have to do with Ginny?" he asked.

Hermione sighed. Because of the way the conversation had turned, she had forgotten Ginny for a moment. She tried to get back on track.

"Er… where were we?" Hermione asked, "I honestly forgot what I said."

"You said that you thought Ginny was taking this thing a little too quickly," Ron said.

"Oh yes," she said, remembering, "Well…you can't possibly believe Ginny when she says her first reason for moving in with Harry is so that she has easier access to the Quidditch training camp."

"Why shouldn't I believe it?" Ron asked, "It's the same reason we want to move to London."

"I don't think it is," Hermione said, shaking her head, "We've always been close to each other since graduation. We see each other every day. When was the last time Ginny was able to talk to Harry face-to-face?"

Another round of comprehension dawned on Ron's face.

"Oh," he said.

"You see," Hermione said, "Ginny misses Harry. Some simple writing on a piece of parchment is no competition to a face-to-face conversation, especially when the two people are in love. Take it this way. We are running low on Floo Powder, right?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Ron asked.

"Just bear with me, please," Hermione said, impatiently, "What if you had to move in with Harry? What if, say, we weren't able to afford Floo Powder, no matter how strange that sounds, and in order for you to get to work, you would have to live with Harry. Meanwhile, Ginny was now with Harry, and their relationship mirrored ours. How would you feel? Remember, I wouldn't be up there. I would be here at the Burrow until I was able to afford enough money to move into a flat."

"You don't expect me to picture Harry and Ginny's love-life, do you?" Ron asked, disgusted.

Hermione rolled her eyes. Ron was completely missing the point.

"Let's just say you were just as annoyed as Ginny is now," Hermione said, "I only want to put you in her shoes, metaphorically speaking."

Ron took a moment to think about that.

"I wouldn't be able to stand it," he finally said, "It's hard to picture being away from you for that long."

"That is exactly what I am talking about," Hermione said, "Now do you see how Ginny feels?"

"Damn," Ron muttered, "Poor Ginny."

"Poor Ginny," Hermione agreed.

"But that still doesn't mean her intentions are only towards Harry," Ron said, "You know how much she loves Quidditch. She's been waiting for the opportunity to be a professional Quidditch Player, not to mention being able to play with the Harpies, her favorite team. You can't tell me that if Harry didn't agree with her, which wasn't in question anyway, she would still find a way to move closer to the camp."

"And Harry," Hermione said.

"And Harry," Ron agreed.

Hermione smiled.

"My thoughts weren't just on Ginny's future with Harry, you know," Ron said.

Hermione blushed, thinking that she probably knew what Ron was thinking when he wasn't around her. Ron blushed too, noticing Hermione's reaction.

"I didn't mean that!" he said, "I mean, I can't help but agree with some of Ginny's intentions. She wants to move up to London to be closer to the training camp. Even if that isn't her only reason, it is one of her reasons. And it made me think that my reasons aren't different then hers. Er… you are still going up to London tomorrow to have that interview, right?"

"Yes," Hermione said, "I figured I would go with you. My interview is close to the time you have to be at work."

"Well, if you get the job," Ron said, "It will be another person in this house who has to travel a long way to get to work. So, I think we need to solve our travel problems sooner than later. I've taken care of that. If everything goes right, I'm going to meet with the real estate agent after work tomorrow."

For the first time since Ron had entered her room, Hermione sat up straight.

"Tomorrow?" she asked, her tone a mixture of shock and confusion, "You mean… you found a house?"

"Earlier this week," Ron said, grinning, "You're the first person I have told."

Hermione gasped and lunged at Ron, hugging him.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" she said, still in his arms.

"I didn't think you'd be this excited," Ron said, laughing.

Hermione playfully slapped Ron on the back then backed up.

"Of course I'm excited!" she said, "When can we see the house? What does it look like? Where is it?"

"Not so fast, Hermione," Ron said, his face shockingly straight (in Hermione's opinion) for someone who had just delivered excellent news, "I haven't exactly set an interview time with the agent yet."

"But," Hermione said, raising an eyebrow, "You just said you were going to meet --"

"I said if everything went well, Hermione," Ron said.

Hermione's excitement sank almost into non-existence.

"Oh," she said, flatly.

"The agent is a Muggle," Ron explained, "Which means I have to be careful with my means of contacting him. He would probably freak out if his mail was delivered to him by an owl. Which means I have to get Dad to dig out his -- what's the word? Telephone?"

Hermione could feel her excitement quickly disappearing into oblivion. Ron was not an expert when it came to the telephone. Hermione quickly decided she had to take this into her own hands.

"I think I am going to have to instruct you in telephone etiquette," she said.

"What do you mean?" Ron asked.

"Honey, I could count on my fingers how many times you've used the telephone," Hermione said, almost in an apologetic tone, "And I wouldn't get anywhere near the end of one hand."

"So, I haven't used the telephone in a while!" Ron said, waving a dismissive hand.

"Yes, and when you did," Hermione said, "You angered Harry's uncle to a dangerous point!"

"That was years ago, Hermione!" Ron complained.

"And you haven't used the phone since," Hermione said, "Have you?"

"I -- well, I would have if -- I didn't think -- no," Ron stuttered, frowning.

"It will be easy to learn how to use the telephone properly," Hermione said, "For starters, you don't yell into the reciever. If you yell at the agent, he will hang up. Believe me. There are only two reasons someone would yell into a telephone. One, if they were angry, and two, they had bad reception."

After a moment, she said "Though I could probably understand the bad reception. Magic does interfere with electricity quite a lot."

"You and my father would have a nice discussion about that," Ron joked.

"He's tried to get me to talk with him about it, believe me," Hermione said, giggling.

A sudden shuffling of feet was heard outside the bedroom door. It disappeared a moment later.

"Probably Ginny," Ron said, noticing that Hermione was looking at the door.

"I don't know," Hermione said, after a sudden thought, "What time is it?"

Ron looked behind Hermione's shoulder, out the window.

"Judging by the sun?" Ron said, "Almost seven. Why?"

"It might have been your Mum, Ron," Hermione said.

"Nonsense," Ron said, "She's downstairs cooking breakfast by now."

"Still," Hermione said, "You know how she is when it comes to you and I in the same bedroom."

"We aren't doing anything, Hermione," Ron said, a slight annoyance in his tone, "It's not like we're… err… sleeping in the same bed, you know."

Hermione narrowed her eyes slightly, having a feeling that Ron wasn't saying exactly what was on his mind. She shook it off a moment later, however, deciding it was in her mind.

"This is one reason I want us to get our own house," Ron said, "We don't have to sneak around to get a bit of privacy. And we can sleep in the same bed…"

Ron immediately blushed.

"I mean," he said, "Only if you want."

Hermione didn't answer straight away.

"What size is this house you're talking about?" Hermione asked him.

"Not as big as Harry's," Ron said, "I didn't expect to be our permanent house. It's… err… only one bedroom. Not big enough for…"

"For what?" Hermione asked, though she felt she knew the answer.

Hermione could tell that Ron was almost regretting his last line.

"For a family," he finally answered, his face nearly as red as his hair, "I mean… you do want a… family, right?"

Hermione cringed, though Ron didn't notice. There it was. The other F-word. Hermione hadn't put much thought into it. It was one of greatest dreams to have a family with Ron. But she knew she was nowhere near ready for it. Even mentioning it scared her.

"Well," Hermione finally said, "Of course I do, Ron. It's just --"

"I know, Hermione," Ron said, "That's still a long ways away."

"Not that long," Hermione said, "It's just…I mean…"

Hermione sighed. What did she mean?

"At the moment, I can't imagine me in your mother's position," she said, "No offense to her."

"I don't want seven children, if that is what you mean!" Ron said, his eyes wide.

Hermione laughed. Ron may have taken her reaction wrong, but it was true that he wasn't that far from it.

"Anyway," Ron said. Hermione smiled at the change of subject, "This house isn't going to be a permanent one. It's one bedroom, like I said. But if you are worried about sleeping arrangements, I'm sure I can get a comfortable couch."

"We'll worry about that when it comes," Hermione said, nodded

Ron laughed, and Hermione knew it was one of relief. Suddenly, more footsteps, though it might have been the same ones, walked past the doorway. Hermione was relieved that they didn't stop.

"I think we should get down to breakfast," Ron said.

"I agree," Hermione said, "But err… maybe you should leave while I get changed, you think?"

Ron blushed. Hermione grinned and leaned into him and kissed him. Ron returned the kiss and for a moment, neither backed away. Hermione backed up a moment later, however. She had to catch her breath, but couldn't tell whether that was from the lack of oxygen or the kiss itself.

"Okay, I really do need to get dressed into normal clothes, Ron," she said.

Ron nodded, apparently lost for words, and got up from the bed. He walked to the door and turned around.

"I love you, Hermione," he said, when he found his voice.

"I love you too, Ron," Hermione said, "More than you know."

"More than I deserve," Ron said

.

Hermione didn't know whether to kiss Ron again or throw a pillow at him. She knew she needed to get dressed, so she did the latter. The pillow barely missed Ron, who laughed, and walked out the door. Hermione rolled her eyes, but smiled anyway.

----------------------------  
Hermione walked out of her room, dressed for the day. She felt that she should take a shower, but decided it wasn't that important since she took one the night before. Ron, of course, was waiting outside her door. They walked down the stairs to the bottom floor, then into the kitchen. Ginny, who was sitting at the table, sighed in exasperation.

"Don't you two ever come down the stairs separately?" she asked.

"No," Ron said, simply.

Ginny rolled her eyes, and Hermione giggled. She sat down with Ron at the table. Mr. Weasley had his face behind the new edition of the Daily Prophet. Mrs. Weasley was at the oven, cooking breakfast. From the delicious aroma, Hermione deducted that she was fixing bacon and eggs.

"Dad, I was wondering," Ron said, getting comfortable in his chair, "Do you know where your telephone is?"

Mr. Weasley lowered the Daily Prophet.

"I think it is in the garage," he said, "I'd have to search for it."

"Why couldn't you just Summon it, Arthur?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"It's in a pile of things, if I remember right," Mr. Weasley said, "I wouldn't want to make a mess, Molly."

Mrs. Weasley sighed. "What do you need it for, anyway, Ron?" she asked.

"I need to call… err… someone," Ron said, "It's a Muggle, so I can't give a message by owl post."

"A Muggle?" Mrs. Weasley asked, her hands on her hips, "What is this all about?"

Ron paled and looked at Hermione. She nodded, knowing that Ron should just tell his parents. They knew that Ron and Hermione were wanting to get their own house.

"I have to talk to a real estate agent," Ron explained, slowly as if he was thinking about every word as he said it, "I met with him earlier this week, and I need to see if I can get an interview."

"A real estate agent?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"I told you I was trying to find a house in London, right?" Ron asked.

"Yeah," Mrs. Weasley said, slowly, "Though I didn't expect it this soon."

"I don't even know if I will get the house, Mum," Ron said, "It's hard to say."

"Molly, we've discussed this," Mr. Weasley said, "We can't keep our children from having a life of their own. They're not prisoners."

"I know," Mrs. Weasley said, "It's just a surprise."

"I'm not completely sure that I'll get this house," Ron said, "I don't know the agent's decision yet, of course."

"I'll go find the telephone after breakfast, Ron," Mr. Weasley said, "It has to be in there somewhere. Perhaps next to the batteries and stuff…"

It didn't take long for Mr. Weasley to find the telephone. But coming from the loud noises in the garage, it sounded as if he had given in and summoned it, probably knocking over a pile or two of stuff.

"Everything should be in order," Mr. Weasley said, returning into the room, "I think it will work without all of the magical interference. Fingers crossed though!"

Hermione was still tutoring Ron on telephone etiquette.

"Don't yell into it," she said, "Stay calm."

"I know, Hermione," Ron said.

"You know the number, right?" Hermione asked.

"Er… yeah," Ron said, "Hang on."

Ron retreated up the stairs and returned a few minutes later with a green-colored piece of paper. He walked over to the telephone and froze.

"Ron?" Hermione asked.

"I can't tell one number from the other," Ron said, "What's with all those letters?"

Hermione sighed.

"I'll do it," she said, snatching the piece of paper from Ron.

"Gee," Ginny said, "Who's more excited, Ron or Hermione?"

Ron and Hermione both rolled their eyes. Hermione dialed the number and put the phone up to her ear.

"It's ringing," she said, "Here. Remember…"

"Stay calm, yes," Ron said, put the phone to his ear, "Hello? Yes, is this Mr. Wycott? Yes? This is Ron Weasley. We met Wednesday?"

Hermione could hear undistinguishable conversation coming from the other end of the line.

"Yes," Ron said, "About that house. I'm pretty interested in it. I'd like to come in sometime tomorrow afternoon to take a look at the house, if that is okay with you, I mean."

Pause.

"Four-o-clock?" Ron asked, "I think I can work that out. Meet at the house? Sure. Yes, I have the address. Great! See you there! Oh, yes, goodbye."

He noisily put the phone back on the hook.

"So?" Hermione asked.

"He wants to meet me tomorrow," Ron said.

Hermione squealed and hugged Ron.

"Did I do good?" Ron asked.

"Of course," Hermione said, "You did perfect."

Hermione smiled, and she couldn't be any happier. If everything worked out, Hermione and Ron would have a house to themselves soon. That, more than anything, made Hermione feel as if she was really starting her life with Ron. At the moment, that didn't scare her at all.

-----------------------------------------  
**Chapter finished! Whew, this chapter was longer than I expected, but I am happy with that. I really didn't expect Ron and Hermione's conversation to last that long, but I'm also happy with that.**

**Next chapter continues with Hermione's PoV. Yes, the house will be in it!**

**Feedback would be great!**


	4. Hermione and the Hearing

**Chapter 4  
****Hermione and the Hearing**

**  
Author's Note: First off, let me give my sincerest apologies about the delay in my writing. I realize it has been over half a year since my last update, and I know there were many readers who have been waiting and waiting for the next chapter. Over the past few months, I've been sorta busy. Between moving out of state to loss of internet, to other personal matters (and writer's block here and there), along with me trying to write a movie-script, I haven't found time for writing my story. Hopefully I can get back into a normal pace of updating. Though at the moment in time, I am still without internet at home and have to go to the library, though I can still write at home. Anyway, I will try to write more, and hopefully this starts off a long string of chapters. We'll see. This chapter will be in Hermione Point-of-View,**

**  
**Hermione and Ron left the Burrow early Monday morning and traveled to the Leaky Cauldron via Floo Powder. They ordered a hot breakfast from Tom and sat down in a private corner.

"Are you all prepared for your interview?" Ron asked Hermione.

"Ron, you've asked me that at least a half-dozen times," Hermione said, impatiently.

"Sorry," Ron said.

"Yes, Ron," Hermione said, "I am as prepared as I can be."

Or at least Hermione hoped she would be. She may have been the smartest witch of her age, and absorbed everything the professors at Hogwarts had taught her, but in the seven years at Hogwarts, and the few years she had in public school before she learned she was a witch, she couldn't remember a time where they had taught her about how to prepare for a day like this. You would think that the Career Advice sessions she had taken with Professor McGonagall, or the number of pamphlets that were given to her would have helped her prepare for it. But she couldn't think of one morsel of information that would have prepared her for this.

Asking advice from her parents didn't help much either. Oh, sure, they could have given her the normal advice, and they actually did in a reply letter after Hermione had told them she was going to apply for a job. That specific part of the letter had read...

_... all you have to do is be sure to stay calm. Don't stutter, dear, though that was never a problem with you. Probably due to lack of sugary substances in your diet all those years. You have kept away from sugar lately, haven't you? Be prepared, oh, but don't show up to the interview with a whole notebook of how you prepared. Just the information you need. Too much is sometimes a bad thing, remember that. You will do fine, honey, your father and I are sure of it._

Of course, Hermione knew, the interviews in the wizarding world could be a bit different. And if they were, how were her Muggle parents supposed to help her with that?

Ron didn't need much of an interview when he became an Auror or (as he insisted on being called) Auror-In-Training. He was always saying how it was thanks to Harry that he got the job, but Hermione knew better. Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt knew how well Ron could fight and how brave he was (Gryffindor, true at heart), and Hermione knew it was thanks to that that Ron was now in Auror training.

"Then you'll do fine," Ron said.

Hermione smiled, so she wouldn't reveal any of her worries.

"Before you know it," Ron said, "You'll be through with it, and you'll be the newest official member of the Ministry of Magic."

"It sounds great when you say it," Hermione said.

"That is because it will be great," Ron said.

"Okay," Hermione said, "So, when do you get out of training today?"

"Three-o-clock on the dot," Ron said, "As always."

"Okay," Hermione said, "Then I'll ask the taxi to be here at three-fifteen."

"Another taxi?" Ron asked, "Why can't we apparate?"

"You told me you didn't know exactly where the house was yet," Hermione said.

"Right," Ron said, slowly.

"So we can't apparate there if we don't know where we are going, Ron," Hermione said.

"Okay," Ron said, "So why can't we take the Knight Bus? They'll know where it is, and they'll get there quicker than a bloody taxi."

"Uh-huh," Hermione said, "And what if the guy we're supposed to meet --"

"Mr. Wycott," Ron said.

"What if Mr. Wycott were to be there when we arrived on the Knight Bus?" Hermione asked, "Muggles can't see the Knight Bus. How would it look if we just appeared out of nowhere?"

"I didn't think about that," Ron said.

"Ron," Hermione said, sighing, "If we want to get this house, we have to make sure we think of everything. Okay?"

"Okay, Hermione!" Ron said, a little loudly, "Bloody hell, you're acting like this is the Ministry Heist all over again."

Hermione was about to retort, but a response fell short. Ron was right. She was being a bit over-the-top about all of this.

"I'm sorry, Ron," she said, finally, "I just want us to get this house so badly."

"I know," Ron said, "Don't worry. I think we'll do fine. And if we don't, we always have a Confundus charm handy."

"Ronald!" Hermione said, shocked.

"I'm joking, Hermione," Ron said, "Bloody hell."

"Breakfast!" Tom announced, as he walked over to their table.

Tom served the plates (which were floating next to him) to Hermione and Ron.

"Will that be all?" Tom asked.

"Yep," Ron said.

"Looks wonderful, Tom," Hermione said.

Tom chuckled.

"Enjoy," he said, and walked away from the table.

Ron grinned and immediately started on his stack of pancakes. Hermione just smiled and watched him. She may have been known to criticize him about his food habits, but it was just a part of him that he would probably live with all of his life. If he did, it wouldn't matter to her. After all, it may be a little disgusting, but it was just one of those cute things he did. Ron looked at her and gulped down a piece of pancake, then frowned at her.

"Something wrong?" Ron asked.

Hermione noticed that a small bit of syrup was on his chin.

"No," she said, smiling at him, "Nothing at all."

---------------------------------

Twenty minutes later, Hermione and Ron arrived at the Ministry of Magic via Floo Powder. They walked over to one of the lifts together. To their enormous relief, it was almost empty. Only an elder witch, and a wizard who looked only a few years older than Hermione were standing there.

"Another day, another galleon," the elderly witch muttered, as the lifts closed.

"Weasley," the young man at the back of the lifts said.

Ron and Hermione turned around.

"Billingsly," Ron said, "How are you this morning?"

"Not too well," Billingsly said, "Thorpe resigned."

"Really?" Ron asked, "Why?"

"Apparently there is an investigation going on with the new recruits," Billingsly said, "If there is anything fishy about your past..."

Billingsly moved a thumb across his neck.

"Then you're out of the Aurors," he said.

"What was wrong with Thorpe?" Ron asked.

"You know those late recruits the Death Eaters were rounding up in the last few months before their defeat?" Billingsly asked.

Ron nodded.

"Apparently Thorpe's father was one of 'em," Billingsly said, "Yeah, he went to Azkaban after some crime, and the Death Eaters who were locked up apparently got to talking to him. The rest, as they say, is history."

"But what does that have to do with Thorpe?" Ron asked.

"Come on, Weasley," Billingsly said, "You should know better than any of us. Well, other than Potter."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ron asked.

"Minister Shacklebolt, himself, is the one who is leading the investigation," Billingsly said, "He wants to make sure that none of the new Auror recruits are here for other purposes than Auror training. Everyone knows Potter is an Auror-in-Training, it ain't no secret. So wouldn't you think that if the Death Eaters were going to try to come back into power, it would be through their kids? I mean, the Death Eaters themselves are locked up or worse. Of course, Thorpe says that wasn't his intention. But the 'powers-that-be' say that Thorpe could have been easily influenced. I don't know what they told Thorpe, but he resigned just this morning. I'm just coming back from seeing him out of the Ministry."

"So what's Thorpe going to do now?" Ron asked.

"Dunno," Billingsly scoffed, "But they aren't going to let him get a job in this building, are they?"

"Not likely," Ron said.

Suddenly, the cool voice overhead announced the floor with the Auror's Department. The lifts opened and Billingsly forced his way past Ron and Hermione.

"Well, see you later," Ron said to Hermione, "Good luck."

Hermione kissed Ron's cheek, and Ron walked out of the lifts. He waved back to her, and she waved to him as the lifts closed.

"Aw," the elderly witch said with a sigh, "young love."

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked.

"Did you say something, young lady?" the elderly witch said.

Hermione raised an eyebrow, confused, but then shook her head.

"No ma'am," she said, "Nothing."

The elderly witch just smiled. Hermione turned around and ignored the witch. But she couldn't ignore the feeling that there was something familiar about the witch. She just didn't know what...

A minute later, the lifts stopped at the very bottom and opened. Hermione walked out. She then turned and looked back into the lifts. The elderly witch was still there.

"Are you getting out, ma'am?" Hermione asked.

"Hmm?" the witch said.

She looked around.

"Oh, phooey!" she said, "I missed my floor."

"Oh, okay," Hermione said.

The lifts closed and Hermione turned and walked down the hallway toward the courtrooms. Her interview would be in one of the smaller courtrooms, Courtroom B, reserved for small cases. She walked toward the courtroom, and knocked on the door.

"Come in," said a voice.

The voice sounded a little familiar to Hermione. She opened the door and walked in. The courtroom was so dark, she was positive she had entered the wrong courtroom. But then again, there was that welcoming voice...

"Hermione!" the voice said.

Hermione got her first shock of the day at that moment. Her old classmate, Susan Bones, was sitting on the bottom row of benches. A clipboard was in her hand.

"Susan?" Hermione asked, as she walked forward .

Though, at that moment, she wasn't sure if it was Susan or not. She looked different then when Hermione usually saw her at Hogwarts. Her hair, which was normally down to her shoulders, was pulled back into a tight bun. She was wearing a very official-looking business dress. As Hermione got into the middle of the room, she looked around. She couldn't see most of the room, only just past the first half-dozen rows or so.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked, "I thought I was supposed to be meeting the head --"

"Head Judge Morrison is a little busy at the moment," Susan said, "I am his assistant."

"Oh?" Hermione said, "Well... congratulations."

"Thanks," Susan said, "Though I don't think I'd have this job if it wasn't for my late Auntie Amelia."

Hermione smiled.

"Anyway, I will be conducting this interview with you today," Susan said, "Would you take a seat over here?"

Hermione nodded and walked over to the bench where Susan sat. She sat down near Susan.

"I believe you want to be Court Scribe, Hermione?" Susan asked.

"Well... yes," Hermione said.

"I am a little surprised at this, Hermione," Susan said, "I mean, it is no secret that you had one of the highest NEWT scores in our year. You could easily be in my position, even without a famous relative. Hell, you could have almost any job in the Ministry if you wanted it."

Hermione blushed.

"I guess you want to start off small," Susan said.

"Well," Hermione said, "Unless you think --"

"I'll tell you what, Hermione," Susan said, "Let's just see how well you do as a Court Scribe. Now, don't take this as a bad thing, but if I don't think you look well-fit in the job, we'll move you somewhere else. Just to see where you are more comfortable."

"Does that mean I have a job?" Hermione asked.

Susan just smiled.

"We'll see," she said.

"But I haven't even shown you any papers," Hermione said.

"Hermione, I must admit something," Susan said, "I kind of lied earlier. Judge Morrison isn't busy. When I heard your name, I volunteered for the job. I knew how well you might be able to do with this job. When I heard your name, the cogs started going around in my brain. They were saying 'Hermione Granger could have any job she wanted, and yet she wants to be down in these dark, cramped courtrooms, eight hours a day, except for lunch breaks. What are you going to do about it, Susan?' Hermione, let me admit another thing. I kind of admired you in Hogwarts. You always seemed to be in the shadow of Harry, and you didn't mind the darkness."

"Well," Hermione began, "It wasn't really like --"

"With your brains, I thought the Sorting Hat was bonkers not to have put you in Ravenclaw," Susan interrupted her.

"Well, I could have been," Hermione said, "But --"

"Hermione, believe me," Susan interrupted her once again, "You don't have to try to impress me. You already have in Hogwarts. The only reason you'd have to show me those papers is for official reasons. I want to see what you can do."

"Well, what do you want me to do?" Hermione said.

"I was hoping you'd ask me that," Susan said, with a grin.

She looked up, and Hermione looked up too, wondering what Susan could possibly be doing. Suddenly, the room went much lighter. Hermione's eyes went wide, and her jaw almost dropped to the floor. About a dozen rows up, a number of very official-looking witches and wizards were sitting in a long row.

"Er..." Hermione said, completely in awe.

"I hope you don't mind that your interview will be mainly in the hands-on approach," Susan said.

Hermione gave a timid little laugh and shook her head.

"Good," Susan said, smiling, "Follow me."

Susan started walking up the steps toward the bench where the witches and wizards were. Hermione followed her up and toward the middle of the row. The most official-looking was the wizard in the middle of the row. Hermione only recognized him from a picture she vaguely remembered seeing in the Daily Prophet at one point or another.

"Head Judge Morrison," Susan said, "This is Hermione Granger."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Granger," Morrison said.

"It's an honor, your honor," she said, then blushed, realizing what she said.

The other witches and wizards sniggered, and Morrison gave them all stern looks. He then looked back at Hermione and chuckled.

"Please, Miss Granger," Morrison said, "Everyone who works for me calls me Herb."

"Of course," Hermione said.

"I hope this isn't too much of a shock for you," Morrison said.

Hermione looked for a response, but couldn't find one good enough. Morrison chuckled again.

"Well, once you are out of that shock," Morrison said, "I'd like you to take a seat at the end."

He pointed to Hermione's left.

"You are about to participate in a small matter," Morrison said, "Though, if I remember my history, it might be wise to say that you may have a little interest in this case."

Hermione wasn't sure what he meant, but she had to say something anyway.

"I hope that doesn't prove to be a problem," Hermione said.

"Oh, Court Scribes don't have a vote in a case," Morrison said, "But if I heard right, you might not be on that job for long, will you?"

Morrison smiled at her.

"Um, well," Hermione said, not sure what to say.

"We'll get to that later," Morrison said, still smiling, "Please take a seat."

"Yes, your Honor," Hermione said, then caught herself, "I mean Herb."

Morrison chuckled. Hermione walked down to the end of the row, and sat in one of the two empty seats. In front of her were a set of quills, ink a large stack of parchment. Susan took the seat next to her.

"I usually sit next to the judge," Susan said, "But since part of this is your interview, I've been asked to sit with you in case you have a question."

Hermione nodded. She looked down the row. Morrison put his wand to his throat.

"Will the members of the defense please come in?" he asked, his voice raised from the Sonorous spell.

The doors opened. A moment later, an elderly woman stepped into the middle of the courtroom. Hermione recognized her as the elderly witch who was with her in the lifts. If this was who Morrison spoke of, she wasn't sure what interest Hermione had in her. They had only met (if you could call it that) in the lifts not thirty minutes ago.

"Er... ma'am?" Morrison said, "I think you might be in the wrong courtroom."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, your honor," the elderly witch said.

Suddenly, she took out her wand.

"What in the blazes?" Morrison asked, loudly.

"Oh, don't get your knickers in a twist, Morrison," the witch said, in a voice that Hermione was only too familiar with.

The witch tapped her head with the wand, and suddenly, a plume of smoke appeared where she was standing. Confused murmurs were heard among the witches and wizards.

"Er... sir?" Susan asked Morrison.

Morrison waved a hand to silence Susan. His only concentration was on the now disappearing plume of smoke. The smoke disappeared and Hermione silently swore. Standing where the smoke had been a second before... was Rita Skeeter.

"How dare you walk into this courtroom," Morrison yelled, "and play this game of charades, Miss Skeeter! Just who do you think you are?"

"Do you want me to start writing?" Hermione whispered to Susan.

"I don't know," Susan whispered, "I guess so."

Hermione quickly picked up the quill and wrote what had happened when Rita had first entered. She started writing Morrison's remarks of outrage, when Susan coughed lightly. Hermione looked at her.

"Not a good idea," she muttered.

Hermione was about to question her, when she realized what she meant. With a quick spell, she made the last line of ink disappear.

"Every one of you know precisely who I am," Rita said.

She looked up and down the line of wizards and witches, then to Hermione. Hermione looked up. Rita's blue eyes were the only thing brighter than her blonde hair, and they stared through her spectacles, right into Hermione's eyes. She grinned, showing her marvelous teeth.

"Yes," Rita said, "Every last one of you."

Hermione ignored her and started writing again. She walked over to the bench and sat down, right where Hermione had been sitting only a few minutes before. Hermione scowled silently. She should have known that old woman was Rita Skeeter in disguise. Hadn't she muttered the words "young love"? Hadn't those words been used by Rita during the Tri-wizard Tournament? Hadn't the words been precisely about her, Hermione? Hermione scowled again at her ignorance.

"I don't know why you say I was playing charades, though, Morrison," Rita said, "You should know very well why I was in disguise. I mean..."

She laughed her annoying throaty laugh. Hermione wrote some more, trying to ignore Rita.

"I am a celebrity," she said, "I just can't simply walk into a place like this and not expect to be horded by my lovely fans. It would have been a mob. Innocent bystanders would have been trampled on like flies. Why, you should thank me for having the decency to disguise myself. Hmm?"

Hermione rolled her eyes as she wrote some more.

"That is not the point, Miss Skeeter!" Morrison said.

"Oh?" Rita said, "But isn't that the reason I am here today? To defend my rightful name as a celebrity. Hmm?"

"You could say that," Morrison said.

"Mmhmm," Rita said, smiling again.

"The exact reason you are here, today," Morrison said.

Shuffling of papers were heard. Hermione looked down the row. A witch was going through papers and giving them to Morrison.

"The exact reason you are here today," Morrison said again, "Is because of some of the content in your new book – 'The Second War: Victory or Vicious?'"

"The book isn't even out yet," Rita said, "How would you know about its contents?!"

Morrison laughed lightly.

"Miss Skeeter," he said, "Apparently you don't know me that well at all. You see, I was one of many of Professor Albus Dumbledore's many friends. I read your last book, and would personally have to say that some of the hub-bub in your book was downright rubbish."

Many of the witches and wizards, including Susan, looked surprisingly at Morrison. Hermione just grinned. Finally Rita had what was coming to her.

"Not to mention," Morrison continued, "That your manners of extracting information would quite possibly be frowned upon by many of your peers. I believe it was you who said that it isn't hard to get information out of someone if you know how to do it. Miss Skeeter... are you aware that if a person takes too much Veritaserum in a small period of time, the effects of that potion could be harmful to them."

Rita scowled and stared at Morrison.

"The effects of the potion, Veritaserum," Morrison said, "Could make a person lose their mind. It could be easily mistaken for the long effects of the Cruciatus Curse, which is just as, if not more, horrible and unspeakable."

_Unforgivable, even_, Hermione thought as she wrote down every one of Morrison's words on her parchment, a smile on her face that could outshine even Rita Skeeter's, who wasn't smiling at the moment.

"A while before Bathilda Bagshot was found dead," Morrison said, "There was a few worrisome comments about her given to some of the Healers at St. Mungo's. Most of them said the same thing: Bathilda Bagshot, as wise as she once was, was not exactly in her right mind at the time-being. 'Off her rocker' one even said. Now, Miss Skeeter, it is widely known that you finished your book roughly a month after Albus Dumbledore died, am I correct?"

"Yes," Rita simply said.

"Well," Morrison said, "the first worrisome comment given to the healers at St. Mungo's came just about a week after your book was published."

"Ol' Batty could have been off her rocker long before Dumbledore kicked the bucket!" Rita said in a very nasty, defensive voice.

"Oh, that is correct," Morrison said, "But if that is true, could you have possibly gotten all that information out of her for your book if she was in that state of mind?"

"Everyone journalist and writer has their secrets of extracting information from somebody," Rita said.

"I think it was your attempts of extracting information that put her that way," Morrison said.

"Oh, you do?" Rita said, a large smile returning to her face, "Well, unfortunately, regrettably, Bathilda Bagshot isn't around anymore to give you that information. So, I think we are through."

Rita stood up.

"We are not!" Morrison yelled, making Rita, Hermione and Susan all jump.

In mid-jump, Hermione had messed up the last line on the parchment. She made it vanish then rewrote it. Meanwhile, Rita sat back down.

"This hearing is not just about your means of extracting information from Bathilda Bagshot," Morrison said, "It is about information you had received for your latest leather-bound sack of rubbish."

Rita turned up her lip at the comment.

"As well as the way you have acquired said information," Morrison said, "Miss Skeeter, you said in one of your interviews, that you had a secret source at the Battle of Hogwarts. Well, it is time for you to give up that secret, right here in this courtroom."

"That would be... impossible," Rita said.

"Oh?" Morrison asked, "And why is that?"

"Because the only reason I was able to get that source's information," Rita said, "Was if I took an Unbreakable Vow that my source would never be revealed. If it was revealed well..."

Rita shuddered slightly. Hermione knew why. If she had broken the Vow, she would have been killed by the spell itself.

Everyone looked at Morrison. There was seemingly no way past this.

"That's it then," Hermione whispered to Susan, "No way of getting any more evidence, right?"

"Head Judge Morrison is very cunning, Hermione," Susan whispered, "You see, he is a skilled Legilimens."

"Ohhh," Hermione said, grinning.

She looked at Morrison again. He was studying Rita. Could he be using Legilimency on her?

"I don't think so, Miss Skeeter," he finally said, "Someone like you wouldn't use the Unbreakable Vow. You could break it subconciously, and not even know it. Then poof, the end of Rita Skeeter, killed by her own greed."

"Ha, shows how much you know," Rita said, "My source did --"

"Oh, I have no doubts that someone offered you information in trade for the Vow," Morrison said, "Only you didn't accept their offer... did you? Oh, you had a source. The ultimate source. Much more unbreakable than the Unbreakable Vow. Shatterproof. Spell-proof. You were your own source. I mean, it would have been easy for you to go unnoticed. The Battle of Hogwarts was so hectic, nobody would have noticed a reporter buzzing her away around, getting her own little scoops for her next best-selling novel."

Hermione grinned. She knew where Morrison was headed. Knew it right when she heard him use the term "buzzing". The only question was... how did he know? As far as she knew, there weren't many people who knew. She was one of the few, herself.

"Rita Skeeter," Morrison said, "I know one of the tricks of your trade. Witches and Wizards of the Wizengamot. Sitting below you, staring right up at us with that knowing in her eyes, is none other than... an unregistered Animagus!"

Gasps were heard among the witches and wizards. Rita Skeeter looked as if she was shooting daggers out of her eyes, right at every member of the Wizengamot who had her fate in their hands.

"Miss Skeeter," Morrison said, "I'm sure you are aware that to be an unregistered Animagus is illegal. I'm sure you know how much trouble you could be in. Am I correct?"

Hermione expected Rita to decline that knowledge.

"Yes, your honor," Rita said, "Unfortunately for you, once again, you have no proof, Morrison."

"I can easily get that proof," Morrison said.

Before Rita could react, Morrison stood up and whipped out his wand. He muttered a spell, and suddenly, Rita disappeared. The witches and wizards were shocked, but Hermione saw a small glass bottle on the floor. She couldn't see it very well up where she was, but Hermione swore there was something moving around in the bottle. Morrison tapped the desk in front of him with his wand. A moment later, two wizards dressed in Auror robes walked into the courtroom.

"Would you please bring that bottle and its contents up here, gentleman?" Morrison asked.

One of the Aurors went to the center of the room and picked up the bottle. He then walked up to where Hermione and the others were sitting, and put the bottle on the desk in front of Morrison. Hermione could now clearly see the beetle in the bottle, as well as the marks on its eyes that looked to be in the shape of Rita Skeeter's glasses. The bottle shook as the beetle buzzed around angrily.

"Ladies and gentleman," Morrison said, with sheer glee, "Rita Skeeter."

Murmurs were heard among the witches and wizards.

"What say you?" Morrison asked, "Have we been given enough evidence to lock Rita Skeeter up for reasons that she is an unregistered Animagus?"

"Aye"s were heard among the Wizengamot. Morrison looked at the bottle.

"Rita Skeeter," he said, "You are hereby sentenced to a period no shorter than three years, no longer than five years at Azkaban prison for illegally practicing the art of the Animagus. How do you plead?"

The beetle buzzed more angrily around the jar.

"Aurors," Morrison said, "Take Miss Skeeter to Azkaban."

The Aurors nodded and walked down the row, passed Hermione, then down the steps and out of the courtroom.

"Miss Bones," Morrison said, "Please go to the Daily Prophet office. I think they will be happy to know of the breaking news about one Rita Skeeter. Tell them that the detailed story will be given to them as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir," Susan said.

She got up from her seat and walked down the stairs and left the courtroom.

"Miss Granger?" Morrison said, "Would you please come over here? Bring your notes as well."

Hermione smiled and nodded then got up from her seat and walked over in front of Morrison. She handed her notes to Morrison, who quickly read through them. He then looked at her and grinned.

"This is very good, Miss Granger," he said.

"Thank you," Hermione said.

"This is too good for Court Scribe," he said, "So, I tell you what. The Daily Prophet is looking for a Court Respondent."

"Sir, I don't think I'm meant to be a journalist," Hermione said.

"Oh, then you'll be perfect for this," Morrison said, "You see, as Court Respondent, you'll be overseeing each and everyone of my cases. The Daily Prophet is always wanting the inside information on the cases I judge over. That will be your job."

"I thought that was what a Court Scribe did," Hermione said.

"Court Scribes are only the authors of the records," Morrison said, "And between you and me, they are very busy. It is the bottom of the metaphorical judicial food chain. You deserve better than that. This job may only be temporary, Miss Granger. You never know. Before too long, you may be up where Susan is."

He lowered his voice to a whisper.

"And between you and me," he said softly, "I think you'd deserve it more."

He grinned and Hermione just smiled.

"So what do you say?" Morrison asked.

Hermione considered it for a moment.

"I'll do it," she said.

"Wonderful!" Morrison said, "As for when you work, you don't really have a strict schedule. You will just be with me during my cases. While it is true I may have a few cases on one day, I may not have any for a few days on end. Right now, you have your first assignment. Once Susan tells the Daily Prophet about this breaking news, I'm sure they'll be buzzing themselves. I need you to perfect these wonderful notes and give them to the Daily Prophet. While they will have the job of making sure the rest of the information is right, none of your words will be touched. Over the years, of course, the Daily Prophet has been known to alter the truth in the paper. But recently, they stick to the truth. So whatever you decide to give them, will be in the paper. As I said, your name doesn't have to be in the paper unless you want it to be. Is that all right for you?"

"Yeah," Hermione said.

"Wonderful," Morrison said, "It will be a pleasure to work with you, then. You may go."

Hermione smiled and walked down to the courtroom floor. She sat on one of the benches, and looked over her notes. Thirty minutes later, she walked out of the room, as the new Court Respondent for the Wizengamot.

----------------------------------------------

**End of chapter! Yes, I know I promised the house would be in this chapter, but it will be in the next one. As I started writing this, I planned that the interview would be very short, and then it would go straight to the house, but then all of this came to mind as I wrote, and I surprised myself with the Rita Skeeter idea.**

**Hope you liked it. More to come, I promise!**

**Feedback would be wonderful! **


	5. The New House

**Chapter 5  
****The New House**

**Author's Note: This chapter will be in Hermione and Ron's Point-of-Views.**

**(Hermione's POV)**

"... floor, Daily Prophet Headquarters," the cool voice overhead said, as the lifts opened.

Hermione walked out of the lifts and down the narrow hallway. Interdepartmental memos were flying in and out of doorways, and up and down the hallway. Hermione had to duck as one rather large memo flew just over where her head had been a moment before. At the end of the hallway, a large plaque on the door read:

**DAILY PROPHET HEADQUARTERS**

Below the title were various important staff members' names. Hermione opened the door, walked through it, and almost ran headlong into Susan Bones.

"Watch it!" Susan exclaimed, then saw who it was, "Oh, Hermione! Was hoping to see you before you left. What are you doing here? Did you get the job? Are you the new Court Scribe?"

"No," Hermione said, "Actually I am the new Court Respondent."

"That would explain why you are up here," Susan said, "Well, congratulations. Does that mean we won't see each other as much?"

"Actually, I work directly with Head Judge Morrison," Hermione said.

"Oh, great!" Susan said.

"I'm up here to give the notes on the Rita Skeeter case," Hermione said.

"You better go then," Susan said, "After I gave them the news about that, they were pretty furious wondering where the rest of the story was. I told them that I didn't have it, but someone would get it to them. You didn't hear it from me, but it could go on the front page of tomorrow's edition."

Hermione almost choked. Her notes could be on the front page of the Daily Prophet?

"Well, I better get going," Susan said, she turned, then turned back to Hermione, "Oh, before I forget!"

She opened the folder she was carrying and handed a piece of parchment to Hermione.

"Take that to the security desk in the Atrium," Susan said, "You'll get your Ministry pass and all the information you need in a little pamphlet. Did Herb give you a schedule for work?"

"He told me he didn't really have a schedule," Hermione said, "And that I would work his cases, so I would work when he had one."

"That doesn't help much, does it?" Susan said, shaking her head, "I swear... Morrison is as sharp as a tack, but not enough common sense to fill a cauldron. Oh, don't tell him I said that! Well, I tell you what. See me tomorrow, and I will have the schedule of all of Morrison's cases for the next couple of weeks. That should help."

"Yeah, sounds great," Hermione said, "Also I'd hate to ask this already. But I never got any information from Morrison on my salary?"

"Oh, we'll discuss that later," Susan said, waving a dismissive hand.

"Oh, all right," Hermione said.

"Welcome to the team, Hermione," Susan said, "I'm so excited we're working together."

"Yeah," Hermione said, "Well, I better get these notes to the Daily Prophet."

Susan nodded and waved goodbye, then left the office. Hermione walked up to the front desk.

"Do you have an appointment?" the witch at the desk said, without looking up.

"Er..." Hermione said, "Actually I have the notes for the Rita Skeeter case."

Suddenly, the door behind the desk opened, and a man walked out, looking frustrated. Hermione was surprised when he had walked over to her.

"You're the one with the scoop on the Skeeter case?" he said, quickly.

"Er, yeah," Hermione said, "I was the Court Respondent for the case. I have all the notes here --"

Right when Hermione showed him the stack of parchment, the man took it from her quickly. He sped-read over it, nodding and grinning.

"Yes, yes," he said, more to himself than Hermione, "Exactly what I need."

He looked at Hermione.

"Well," he said, "Miss -?"

"Oh... Granger," Hermione said, "Hermione Granger."

"Miss Granger," he said, "You did this?"

"Yes, sir," Hermione said.

"Good," he said, "Very good."

He took out his wand and conjured up a piece of parchment. He handed it to Hermione.

"Give this to the front desk," he said, nodding to the desk, "Everything should be correct."

Before Hermione could ask what the parchment was, the man rushed back into the office. Hermione walked over to the desk.

"Yes?" the witch asked.

Hermione handed her the piece of parchment. She took a long glance at it, then to Hermione. She raised an eyebrow, then opened a compartment in her desk. A shuffling of metal was heard. She then stuck out a closed fist to Hermione. Hermione put out her hand, reluctantly. Ten large galleons dropped into it. Hermione looked surprised.

"Er..." she said, "What --"

"Your payment for your scoop," the witch said, "Must have been a good one. Most people only get seven, if that."

"Well, thanks!" Hermione said.

The witch just smiled. Hermione stood there, not sure what to do next.

"Anything else?" the witch asked, looking up at her.

"Huh? Oh, no," Hermione said.

"Well, see you later then," the witch said.

Hermione nodded and walked back out of the office, pocketing the ten galleons.

-----------------------------------

**(Ron's POV)**At half-past-two, Ron and Harry were in the locker room in the Auror Department. Both looked very tired, as they dressed back into their normal clothes.

"So you're seeing that house today?" Harry asked Ron.

"Yeah," Ron said, "I'm meeting the real estate guy at the house in about an hour-and-a-half. Hermione's coming along. I'm supposed to meet her at the Leaky Cauldron in a little while."

"She had her interview today, right?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," Ron said, "I hope she did well. She was pretty nervous this morning. You should have –"

Suddenly, Billingsly walked past Ron and Harry in the locker room. He took a quick glance at them, then walked on.

"It's like he thinks we're the reason Thorpe is gone," Ron whispered to Harry, as he watched Billingsly disappear into the next row of lockers.

"Rubbish," Harry whispered, "Why would he think that?"

Ron shrugged, not having a good answer.

"It's Thorpe's own fault he didn't tell the Ministry about his father," Harry whispered, "Thorpe was lucky he wasn't brought up on charges for something."

Suddenly, a locker door slammed and Billingsly quickly appeared in the row of lockers that Ron and Harry were at.

"You going on about Thorpe, are you?" he asked, loudly.

"No," Ron lied, "Of course not."

"I don't believe you," he said, "You know as well as I do Thorpe deserved to be with us. A dream ruined all because the Ministry feels threatened again."

"Hey, we agree with you, mate," Harry said, "People aren't always like their parents."

"Yeah, you're right," Billingsly said, "So why did this happen to Thorpe?"

"Thorpe left on his own," a familiar voice said, "It was nothing any of you did."

Ron, Harry and Billingsly looked down at the other end of the lockers. Shippe was standing there.

"And there was nothing," Shippe said, "any of you could have done."

"You know as well as I do that that is total rubbish!" Billingsly said, "He was forced to resign because of his father!"

Shippe walked, in a quick pace, down to Ron, Harry and Billingsly. He got in Billingsly's face.

"Look, Billingsly," he said, "I tried to help Thorpe. I did everything I could try. I told them he was a wonderful part of this department, and that he could have a bright future as an Auror if he trained well. They didn't listen to me."

"I don't believe that," Harry said, "I know Kingsley Shacklebolt. He would listen to reason."

"I don't think you know the Minister as well as you think you do, Potter," Shippe said, "Ever since he started this investigation, I hardly recognize him. If you ask me, I think he's changed ever since the Second War ended. He wants to make sure something like that never happens again, and he'll do everything he can to make it that way."

Shippe took a quick glance at Ron, Harry and Billingsly.

"I trust that the three of you don't have any bad marks in your past," he said, "I'd hate to lose my three best students."

Without another word, he turned and walked back down the row of lockers and disappeared to the left. Billingsly looked at Harry and Ron and shook his head, disgusted. He walked away and went the same way as Shippe.

"I think I should talk to Kingsley," Harry said.

"Why?" Ron asked.

"Something's not right here," he said, "You know him as well as I do. Would the Kingsley we know act like this?"

Ron shrugged.

"Absolute power corrupts absolutely," he quoted.

"Not when it comes to Kingsley," Harry said, shaking his head.

Harry put on his trainers, tied them and shut the locker door. He took his things and walked away.

"See you, mate," Ron said.

Harry waved a hand toward him, and then disappeared to his right. Ron finished getting dressed and headed for the Atrium.

-------------------------

When Ron arrived at the Leaky Cauldron via Floo Powder, it was almost three-o-clock. He found Hermione sitting at a window-side table by herself. She was half-way through a Butterbeer, reading what looked to be like a large pamphlet.

"One butterbeer, Tom," Ron said, nodding to the barman.

Tom nodded. Ron walked over to Hermione's table and sat across from her. Hermione smiled at him.

"I called the taxi," she said, "It'll be at the end of the street in about fifteen minutes."

Ron nodded.

"So?" he said.

"So... what?" Hermione asked.

"So... the interview!" Ron said, "How did you do?"

"Oh, right," Hermione said.

Ron listened intently, as Hermione told him what happened in Courtroom B and the Daily Prophet Headquarters. Hermione only paused a moment when Tom brought Ron his drink and Ron paid for it.

"You're kidding!" Ron said, taking a large gulp of butterbeer, "So ol' Skeeter got what was finally coming to her? Mum will be ecstatic!"

"Kind of how I felt," Hermione said, "Anyway, I first went into the interview expecting to be one of the Court Scribes. By the end, Morrison told me I was the newest Court Respondent and would report on everyone of his cases."

"Isn't he the bloke who is the Head Judge?" Ron asked.

"Yep," Hermione said.

"So you're a part of the Wizengamot?" Ron asked.

"Er... the very bottom, if I am," Hermione said.

"Still, that is pretty good," Ron said.

"Yeah," Hermione said, "And what is more, it seems that if I have a good 'scoop' for the Daily Prophet, I get paid for it from them as well. I got ten galleons just for giving my notes to them."

"Wow," Ron said.

"Yep," Hermione said.

Ron and Hermione finished their drinks and left the Leaky Cauldron, then headed down to the end of the street. A couple minutes later, the taxi arrived.

"33 Bank Street," Ron told the cabbie, when he and Hermione stepped into the back of the car.

"I know where it is," the cabbie said, "It will be about a thirty minute drive. I tell you, this is a strange neighborhood to meet you two in. Never hear a good story around here. You wouldn't believe the folks I get around here. Dressed in funny-colored cloaks even when the days are scorchers!"

Ron and Hermione just nodded.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the cabbie said, "Didn't mean to pry."

The cabbie started the time-clock and drove down the road.

---------------------------------------------

The journey took roughly thirty minutes, just as the cabbie promised. The cabbie didn't say much, probably thinking that Ron and Hermione were just like the "folks" he saw around the Leaky Cauldron. Throughout the ride, Ron was debating whether or not to tell Hermione to modify the man's memory, but he thought better of it.

"Here we are," the cabbie finally said, as he stopped on the curb in the middle of a street of houses, "Thirty minutes, just like I said, eh?"

Hermione smiled and paid the man with Muggle money. Ron followed her out of the car, and the cabbie tipped his hat.

"You two won't be needing a ride back, will ya?" he asked.

"Nope," Ron said.

"Good day, then," the cabbie said, and drove off.

Across the road, parked outside a one-story house, was a dark-blue Toyota. The door of the car opened, and a man walked out. The man was in his mid-fifties, and he was wearing a black business-like suit. He looked a little large around the middle. A briefcase was in his right hand.

"Mr. Weasley, you are early." the man said, moving his free hand over his eyes to shade out the sun.

"Better than late," Ron said, as he and Hermione walked over to the man, "Oh, Mr. Wycott, this is my fiancee, Hermione Granger."

"Sal Wycott," Mr. Wycott said, shaking Hermione's hand, "Cape and Wycott Realties. Miss Granger, you said?"

"Yes, sir," Hermione said.

"You wouldn't be related to the dentists with the same name?" Mr. Wycott said, "Richard and Helen?"

"They are my parents," Hermione said, nodding and blushing.

"Well, this is a grand surprise!" Mr. Wycott said, "They always talk about their daughter, but I always forgot your name. Best dentists in the city, you ask me. You tell them hello for me when you talk to them, will ya?"

"Sure," Hermione said.

"Well, Mr. Weasley," Mr. Wycott said, looking at Ron, "I take it that you would like to see the house?"

Ron nodded. Mr. Wycott put out a hand, indicating the house behind him. Ron looked at it. At first glance, it looked like your normal one-story house. Two windows, adorned with shutters, were on each side of a mahogany door. The door had brownish siding. A stone walkway led to the door. Small Bushes stood under each window. A Chimney stuck out of the side of the roof, indicating that the house came with a fireplace.

"You will be happy to know that this is one of the nicest low-priced houses on our list," Mr. Wycott said, leading Ron and Hermione down the stone walkway, "Oh, its one bedroom, of course, so most of our customers pass over it. They all have young children with them. But it does come with the option of being furnished. Cape and Wycott Realities are allied with a beautiful furniture store, and they cut their prices for us. That's always a plus among our hopeful house-owners."

Mr. Wycott sure knew what he was doing, Ron thought to himself, as he listened intently to the man.

"Shall we go inside?" Mr. Wycott asked.

Ron and Hermione nodded.

"Very anxious," Mr. Wycott said, grinning, "I like it."

He walked over to the door. On the wall was a small white box with a number-pad on it. The realty's logo was on it.

"Once the house is purchased," Mr. Wycott said, "This will, of course, be removed. It is only for our realtors access. We don't lose keys this way. Years ago, we didn't have these. We lost keys all the time. Bad for business you know."

He laughed and touched four digits and Ron heard a small, quick beep. Mr. Wycott opened the top of the box and reached inside. He took out a small brass key.

"Here's the little devil," he said.

He unlocked the door and opened it.

"Ladies first," he said, glancing at Hermione.

Hermione smiled and walked inside. Ron followed and Mr. Wycott came in behind him. They were inside a good-sized living room. The fireplace was the first thing Ron noticed. It was marble-topped, with stone on the sides that matched the sidewalk outside. Ron mentally made a note that, if they got the house, he could connect it to the Floo Network.

"As you see, this is, of course the living room," Mr. Wycott said, "The fireplace is wonderful for those cold nights we always get here in Merry Ol' London. The house isn't furnished yet, of course, but if you were to purchase and want that option, the movers would be here at your convenience, and they always promise to move everything in themselves. If you will, the kitchen is this way."

Mr. Wycott led Ron and Hermione toward the kitchen.

"Now, a downside to the house," he said, "is that you don't have a dining room that many of the houses are known to have. But the kitchen..."

Ron and Hermione walked through the archway and into the kitchen.

"... is big enough for a nice table to eat at, as you can see," Mr. Wycott continued, "And it already comes furnished with the goods."

The kitchen was indeed big enough. Ron thought it was even a bit bigger than the Burrow's kitchen, and definitely less crowded. Black marble covered the counter-top.

"If you follow me," Mr. Wycott said.

Mr. Wycott led them back through the living room and down a hallway at the other end. A door on each side of the narrow hallway each led into rooms, while a sliding door at the end of the hallway looked like it led into a backyard. Mr. Wycott opened the door on the left. It led into a small lavatory. Black and white tile covered the floor and the walls were white, and adorned with red roses. Mr. Wycott opened the other room.

"And of course, the bedroom," Mr. Wycott said.

As Ron walked in, he found that the bedroom was a little bit bigger than his bedroom at home, and far less crowded, even without all the furniture. The walls and carpet were maroon-colored.

"It comes complete with a walk-in closet, and a wonderful view of the backyard," Mr. Wycott said, "Also, I'd imagine it is quite cozy on cold nights."

He chuckled, and Ron tried his best to hide the color rising on his cheeks.

"The backyard," Mr. Wycott, "is rather small, but I imagine it would be nice enough for the two of you and a few guests should you ever want to have a party or something."

The backyard, Ron noticed as he walked into it, was definitely much smaller than the yard he was used to at the Burrow. It was kind of open, but he could modify that so no Muggles would look in, in case magic was being used.

"That's the end of the tour," he said, looking expectantly at Ron and Hermione, "I can give the two of you time to think it over if you want."

Ron and Hermione nodded.

"I'll just be inside," Mr. Wycott grinned.

Ron watched Mr. Wycott walk back into the house.

"What do you think?" he asked Hermione.

"It's brilliant," Hermione said.

"Rather small," Ron said, "But it won't be permanent, of course. Definitely cozy."

He laughed, and Hermione shook her head, grinning.

"Can we afford it?" Hermione asked.

"You're the expert," Ron said, then lowered his voice to a whisper, "You know, on Muggle money. What do you think?"

"I think," Hermione said, "that I really like this place. Another plus is that it is definitely bigger than George's flat."

Ron had to agree. Ron and Hermione had to live above George's shop in Hogsmeade during the few weeks they worked there, after George got injured. At times, Ron felt very cramped in that place.

"Should we take it?" Ron asked.

Hermione looked around at the back yard and at the house. She smiled at Ron and nodded.

"Brilliant," Ron said, "Let's go tell Mr. Wycott the good news."

Ron and Hermione walked back into the house, and found Mr. Wycott standing in the middle of the living room looking through papers. He looked up at them, questioningly.

"So?" he asked.

"We'll take it," Ron said.

"Brilliant!" Mr. Wycott exclaimed, walking over to them and shaking Ron's hand, "When do you plan on moving in?"

Ron and Hermione looked at each other.

"First of the month?" Ron asked her.

Hermione nodded.

"Perfect," Mr. Wycott said, "Tell you what. I'm going to be pretty busy all week, so I won't have time to work through the papers until Friday. How about I give you the address for my building and we meet there on Saturday to do the papers? I can give you the key then. Of course, if you change your mind, you can always call me too. Sometimes people change their minds. Cold feet. Too soon sometimes, you know. Especially for a young couple like yourselves. All understandable. But if you don't change your mind, meet me on Saturday like I said. We'll work it all out and I'll schedule the movers before you move in. You do want the place furnished, right?"

Ron nodded.

"Wonderful," Mr. Wycott said, "Well, if there are no more questions, I think that is all for today. It was a pleasure meeting the both of you."

Ron and Hermione smiled and nodded. A few minutes later, after assuring Mr. Wycott that they would just call another taxi, Ron and Hermione watched as Mr. Wycott left in his car down the road. When they were sure nobody could see them, they apparated back to the Leaky Cauldron, then went to the Burrow via Floo Powder, to give the good news.

-----------------------------------

**A/N: Another chapter finished! Well, Ron and Hermione have their house! Did you like it? I thought it was rather good for a one-bedroom house. As an American, I'm not at all familiar with European houses, so I hope it was good. **

**More to come! Feedback would be wonderful! **


	6. Firewhiskey and Fudge

**Chapter 6  
****Firewhiskey and Fudge**

**Author's Note: This chapter will be in Harry's Point of View.**

**(Right after Harry's conversation with Ron ended)**"See you mate," Ron said to Harry.

Harry said nothing, but waved a hand to him, giving a non-verbal goodbye. He didn't want Ron thinking that he was mad at him. Which was the truth. He wasn't mad at Ron. Ron did nothing wrong. At the moment, he was mad at the Minister of Magic, and had a perfect reason to be.

If the rumors were right about Kingsley Shacklebolt's involvement in this so-called "purge", then he was already treading down the path his predecessors traveled down. It was fear that drove Ministers of Magic Cornelius Fudge and Rufus Scrimgeour into their crazy "Voldemort isn't back; the world, wizarding and Muggle alike, is perfectly fine" schemes, and the latter got himself killed for it. Of course, Voldemort was definitely not back. He was long gone, his body now rotting into nothingness at the bottom of the Hogwarts Lake. And his Death Eaters were either dead or locked away in Azkaban forever. Now, with this new purge that had been the cause of Thorpe's resignation, Shacklebolt seemed to be acting as if hell had broken loose once again and the Third War was about to start only months after the Second one ended.

Harry knew he had to do something about it. He had to find out what was going on in Kingsley's mind. Perhaps he could get Thorpe his job back in the process, as well. Thorpe might have been a rough individual that reminded Harry of the Slytherin House (and he wouldn't have been surprised if Thorpe was a Slytherin), but he definitely wasn't a future Death Eater (if the Death Eaters even had a future). Thorpe was a good man deep inside and he had all the makings of a fine Auror.

Harry walked out of the Auror Headquarters, nodding his head and giving silent greetings and goodbyes to every witch or wizard that passed him as he went. He walked into the crowded lifts, joining the witches and wizards who were leaving the Ministry for the day, though he wouldn't be leaving with them just yet. A couple minutes later, as the lifts gradually became more crowded, the doors opened at the first floor, where the Minister of Magic's office was located. Harry pushed his way past the witches and wizards, as more started coming on, and walked down the hall. At the end of the hall, a golden plaque on the large double-doors read:

**KINGSLEY SHACKLEBOLT  
****MINISTER OF MAGIC**

Harry forced his way through the doors, and walked past the secretary's desk. The secretary, an older man, who was a retired Auror that was put there for the Minister's protection, stared at him as he walked toward the door.

"Sir!" he said, "Sir! The Minister is very busy. He is in a very private meeting."

Harry ignored him. The secretary moved with quick agility and arrived at the Minister's door before Harry could get there.

"The Minister is in a meeting with somebody, sir," he said to Harry, "He is not seeing anyone else at the moment. If you come over to the desk with me, we can work out a special time that he can see you."

"Oh yeah?" Harry asked, his rage building inside him at the man, "When? Two weeks from now? Two months from now?"

"The Minister is a very busy man, Mr. Potter," the secretary said.

"So you do know who I am," Harry said.

"Yes, sir," the secretary said.

"You should also know that the Minister and I are friends," Harry said, "We go back --"

"To the days of the Order of the Phoenix," the secretary said, "Yeah, I heard it all, Mr. Potter. But I don't think that gets you a free pass to walk into the Minister's office, especially when he is in a very important meeting. Especially not for some teen punk, even if you did save the world."

"You think so?" Harry asked, ignoring the last bit, fearing his rage would win over, "Maybe you should ask him."

Harry stared at him, and crossed his arms. The man looked at him for a moment, then sighed and shook his head. Harry thought the man was still not going to let him through, but then the man turned his back on Harry, and looked at the door.

"Damn youngsters are going to be the death of me," the secretary muttered, though Harry could hear him, "Think they know everything these days."

He opened the door and peered his head through. Harry could hear Kingsley say something, though it was very indistinct.

"Yes, I know sir," the secretary said, "You said no visitors. But Harry Potter is here. He says he needs to see you. It sounds very urgent, but I told him to –"

Harry heard Kingsley's voice again.

"Are you sure, sir?" the secretary said, "Yes. Yes, sir."

He kept the door ajar, and turned to Harry.

"You may go in," he said to him, "But you should count yourself lucky. Don't be too long."

The secretary walked back to his desk, muttering what Harry thought sounded like, "little punks." Harry walked into the room. Kingsley was sitting behind his large oak desk, his back against the large chair. But that was not who he was looking at. Former Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, was standing in between the two chairs in front of the desk. He was looking right at Harry.

"Harry!" Fudge exclaimed, "What a pleasant surprise!"

"You wanted to see me, Harry?" Kingsley asked, looking right at Harry, his hands together, as if in prayer, on the desk.

Harry noticed that he did not look as pleased as Fudge at the sudden intrusion. Kingsley motioned his still-clasped hands to the empty chair on the left. Harry walked over to the chair and sat down. Fudge smiled and sat back down in his chair. Harry looked at Fudge, and had a sudden funny feeling that Kingsley Shacklebolt wasn't the master-planner of the purge that had taken place.

"Harry?" Kingsley asked.

Harry wrenched his attention back to Kingsley.

"You wanted to see me?" Kingsley asked again.

"Er... yeah," Harry said, though he suddenly felt as if it wasn't Kingsley he should be talking to, "One of my fellow Aurors-in-Training, Thorpe, resigned this morning, and I couldn't help but think that you had something to do with it."

Kingsley looked at Fudge, then back at Harry.

"I take it," Kingsley said, "that you have heard about the investigations going on?"

"Yes," Harry said, "I heard about that. And, if you want my honest opinion, I think it is bonkers."

"Bonkers?" Fudge asked, his voice changing from pleasant to one quite darker, "I thought, out of everyone, you'd be the first one to praise these investigations. I mean, if I remember right, it was you who discovered the first Ministry worker who turned out to be working for the other side. Lucius Malfoy, remember?"

"If I remember right, Fudge," Harry said, "It was you who thought I was going mad when I accused Lucius Malfoy of that."

"Oh, the past is the past, Harry!" Fudge said, chuckling, "It's time to focus on the future."

"And the future is deciding who is fit to be an Auror, and who isn't?" Harry asked, "If you ask me, Samson Thorpe is just as fit to be an Auror as I am. He's leagues better, I bet, Minister, than that senile old secretary of yours was when he was an Auror."

"You misunderstand the meaning of the whole investigation," Kingsley said, "The Aurors just aren't under investigation, everyone in the Ministry is."

"Precisely!" Fudge said, "We must learn from our past mistakes, Harry."

"And you start the investigation off by searching through the histories of the witches and wizards who are training to be Aurors?" Harry asked, "Look, just because Thorpe's father made a bad choice, doesn't mean his son has to pay for it! Look, why don't you just order Thorpe's father to come in and you can ask him --"

"Even if we had any questions, Harry," Kingsley said, "Thaddeus Thorpe was killed in the final battle which you and I were a part of."

Harry stared at Kingsley.

"He was crushed under the same rubble that put your friend Ron in a coma for a few hours," Kingsley said.

Harry's throat went dry.

"We believe," Kingsley continued, "that he was in one of the top rooms of the house when Mr. Weasley and Fenrir Greyback were dueling. When their battle brought down part of the roof, we believe that it crushed Thaddeus Thorpe, as well as Fenrir Greyback."

So in a sense, Ron had a part in Thorpe's father's death. The thought made Harry's stomach clench.

"We only found out a few days ago that Thaddeus was one of them," Kingsley said, "That's how long it has taken to go through all of the details of that battle. Magic or no magic."

"Good riddance to a bad soul, if you ask me," Fudge said.

Harry stared at Fudge.

"Still doesn't mean Samson Thorpe is a possible threat," Harry said.

"Oh, it doesn't, does it?" Kingsley asked, staring at Harry, "Let me give you a little scenario. Our victory at the final battle of the Second War was big for the public morale. Huge. Epic, even. So, of course the Daily Prophet was going to try to dig their heels into every detail of it. They've followed the clean-up to the point of annoyance. I get owls flying in and out of my secretary's office delivering letters from Aurors who had cleaned up the whole thing, and from people in the Daily Prophet. The clean-up crew beg me to pass a law saying that the Daily Prophet reporters can't dig too deep into the work of the Aurors. The Daily Prophet reporters, when they aren't asking me to give more details of the final battle, complain to me that the clean-up crew is pushing them away or using spells to hide the details from them. It's maddening."

"Now you know how I felt, Kingsley," Fudge said, chuckling.

Kingsley ignored the former Minister.

"Sooner or later, Harry," he said, "the Daily Prophet is going to get a hold of names of the unmentioned Death Eaters. I ask you, Harry. How would it seem to the public if they found out that the relatives of those named Death Eaters work right here in the Ministry of Magic? I have promised the public, over and over, that the Ministry is doing everything to get past the horrible, dreadful days when Voldemort and the Death Eaters reigned free in the halls of this place. And now, there are relatives, family members, of the Death Eaters working here?"

"You can't blame them on the bad choices someone else made, Minister," Harry said.

"Harry, you don't understand!" Kingsley exclaimed, smacking the desk with a fist, "If you did, you'd be supporting this whole thing instead of questioning me about it."

"Explain it to me then," Harry said, simply, "make me understand."

Kingsley sighed and stood up. He walked over to the fire and stared into it. Harry remembered (and it seemed a lifetime ago) when he watched Ron pace back and forth in front of the fire, just minutes before the final battle of the Second War. At the time, he wondered if Ron was just going to jump in the fireplace and Floo out of there. Harry, himself, had almost wanted to do the same. Now he wondered if Kingsley was thinking of doing the same thing. As Kingsley walked back and forth, Harry noticed that Fudge wasn't saying a thing. A minute later, Kingsley stopped, mid-pace, and looked at Harry.

"Harry," he said, "What I am about to tell you cannot leave this room. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Harry said.

"If it does," Kingsley said, "I will have no choice but to kick you out of the Aurors."

Harry was about to complain. That seemed like a very extreme thing for the Minister to do. But Harry only nodded.

"Yes, sir," he said.

Kingsley stared at him. Harry knew he was trying to see if he was telling the truth.

"Okay," he said.

He walked back over to his desk and sat down. He stared at Harry.

"At this moment," he said, "many of the more important details of the final battle have yet to be revealed to the public. Before the final battle, we didn't know the names of the prisoners in Azkaban who had escaped with the Death Eaters and had joined up with them. After the final battle, those prisoners were captured and sent back to Azkaban... at least those that hadn't perished in the battle."

Harry nodded, silently wondering how many had perished along with Thaddeus Thorpe.

"Ever since that battle," Kingsley continued, "The Ministry has been doing our best to discover the names of those who had been killed. At first, this was just to make sure that everyone in that battle had either been killed or captured. Originally, we wanted to know if any of the prisoners or Death Eaters had escaped. Then we realized that if the families of these prisoners found out that their..." he struggled to find the word, "loved ones were killed, then they just might want revenge."

Harry nodded. It did seem like it could happen.

"Well," Kingsley continued, "At first, the Aurors weren't having any luck discovering who those prisoners were. Then we started getting answers. A couple of the prisoners were wizards who had gone to Azkaban at a younger age and didn't have no family, as far as we could tell. Then just a few days ago, we discovered Thaddeus Thorpe. Well, when your instructor heard the name in one of the meetings, he immediately connected the man to your fellow Auror-in-Training Samson Thorpe."

Harry remembered what Shippe had told him in the locker room.

"_I tried to help Thorpe. I did everything I could try. I told them he was a wonderful part of this department, and that he could have a bright future as an Auror if he trained well. They didn't listen to me."_

"Shippe thought Thorpe was innocent," Harry said, "You didn't listen to him, did you?"

"Shippe doesn't understand!" Kingsley exclaimed.

He sighed and paused for a moment.

"Please understand, Harry," Kingsley said, "It is no secret that you and Ron Weasley were a part of that final battle. What if Thorpe found out that his father was a part of that battle? What if he discovered how his father died? Don't you think he would blame his death on you? Or Ron? I mean... Ron was only a few feet away from where Thaddeus would have been. Sooner or later, Thorpe would have found out that little detail."

"Look, Minister," Harry said, "If you're trying to protect me and Ron --"

Fudge laughed. Harry and Kingsley glanced at him.

"Protect you and Weasley?" Fudge asked, "We're not just trying to protect you and your little friend. Though now that you mention it, you should thank us for that. No, no, no. We are trying to protect the whole Ministry. The whole wizarding world!"

"Well, if you're trying to do this," Harry said, "so it doesn't start another war, then I quite agree with it. But --"

"Of course we're trying to prevent another war," Fudge said.

"Mr. Fudge," Harry said, "I was starting to wonder. What is your involvement in this whole thing?"

"What are you getting at, Potter?" Fudge asked, "I may not be the Minister anymore, but I'm just as much a part of this Ministry as you are, if – if not more!"

"There are scores of witches and wizards who are part of the Ministry," Harry said, "But they are not sitting in this office having a meeting with the Minister of Magic. But if you like, I could get them."

Kingsley chuckled softly. Fudge, on the other hand, looked furious.

"I mean," Harry said, "I would understand if you were just in here because you missed the old office. I can see how it would bring back some memories. But, to me, this doesn't look like a normal visit. Even the secretary outside said it was 'very important meeting' that the Minister was in."

"I-I don't think that is none of your business," Fudge said, flustered.

"Of course not," Harry said.

Before Fudge could say something else, Harry looked back at Kingsley.

"Well, Minister," he said, standing up from his seat, "I came up here to attempt to get Thorpe back his job, but it looks like that isn't going to happen."

"Harry," Kingsley said, "sit back down."

Harry grinned. He sat back down in his seat and looked at the Minister again.

"You probably know Samson Thorpe better than I do," Kingsley said, "Tell me about him."

"Sir?" Harry asked, surprised at the turn of events.

"Well," Kingsley said, "If you, as you say, came up here to get Thorpe his job back, then you must think highly of him. Now, forgive me, but I don't know much about Thorpe. Therefore, I want you to tell me about him."

Harry opened his mouth, then paused. It was true, he didn't know much about Samson Thorpe.

"Well," he said, "I know that he has the makings of a good Auror. He has his faults of course, but I'm sure you agree that everyone in the world has some of their own."

Kingsley chuckled and nodded. He moved his hands in a "continue, please," motion. Harry struggled to find more good things about Thorpe. It was true, he didn't see the man much outside Auror training.

"I take it that you don't know much about him," Kingsley said, eyebrows raised.

Harry shook his head. Before Kingsley could say something else, he continued quickly.

"Still doesn't mean I think he shouldn't be allowed to return to Auror training, sir," he said.

"Well, then," Kingsley said.

Harry wondered at that moment what Kingsley was going to say next. Perhaps Harry should have tried to find more good things to say about Thorpe. Things that could have made Kingsley realize that the man wasn't like his father. Kingsley took a piece of parchment from a large stack and a quill. He dipped it in ink and started writing something down.

"Harry," he said, as he wrote, "I believe you do know Thorpe better than you say."

"You do, sir?" Harry asked.

"Oh, yes," Kingsley said, "But if you doubt yourself, then this is what I think you should do. I think you should go visit Samson Thorpe."

"Sir?" Harry said again.

"He lives on the outskirts of London," Kingsley said, finishing up what he was writing. "I know this, because he told me after a long discussion. A moment later, his temper rose, and he stormed out of my office. Unfortunately, I couldn't tell him about his father."

"You mean you want to tell him about his father?" Harry asked, surprised.

"No, Harry," Kingsley said, handing Harry the piece of parchment, "I want you to tell him."

"But," Harry said, "I'm not sure --"

"You want Thorpe to get his job back, right?" Kingsley asked.

"Well, yeah," Harry said, "But --"

"Go to his house," Kingsley said, "Get to know him. Tell him about his father. It will be your choice to tell him exactly what happened to him. Then, and only then, ask him if he wants to get back into Auror training. If he does, I'll allow it, and I won't give another thought about it."

"And if he doesn't?" Harry asked.

"Well, then," Kingsley said, darkly, "For his sake, you just better hope we're wrong about his connections to the Dark Arts."

----------------------------------

Harry walked out of the Minister's office, past the secretary who was giving him the nastiest of looks, and back toward the lifts. Once he was in the lifts, up toward the Atrium, it was only then that he looked at the piece of parchment. Written under Thorpe's address were the words:

"_Watch your back. Good luck, Harry. You're going to need it."_

Harry stuffed the piece of parchment into his back pocket, as the cool voice overhead announced their arrival to the Atrium. Harry walked out of the lifts and over to one of the fireplaces, where he took the Floo Network to the Leaky Cauldron. On arrival, he declined a drink offer from Tom and walked out of the Leaky Cauldron. He raised up his wand arm. A second later, a rush of wind and the sound of creaking metal announced the arrival of the Knight Bus. Stan Shunpike walked out, followed by passengers headed for the Leaky Cauldron.

"Well, if it ain't Harry Potter!" Stan exclaimed, "'Choo looking for a ride?"

Harry only nodded and stepped onto the bus.

"Hey, Ern'!" Stan exclaimed, "Look 'oo it is. Harry Potter!"

Ernie just grunted. Harry sat down and Stan walked up to him. Harry paid Stan.

"Where 'bouts you headed?" Stan asked.

Harry said the address, and with a grunt from Ern and a creak of metal, the Knight Bus whooshed down the road.

"Ain't seen you in a while, have we Ern?" Stan said to Harry.

"How many times, Stan?" Ernie grunted, "How many times --"

"Yeah, yeah," Stan sniffed, "Keep your hat on! So what'choo been up to, Harry? Heard you were an Auror, that's what I heard. Is that right?"

"Auror-in-training," Harry said, simply.

"Oho!" Stan exclaimed, "'Ear that, Ern? Harry's going to make sure we don't have another Dark Lord on our hands."

"Maybe he should take you to Azkaban then!" Ernie grunted, "Get you out of my hair, at the very least."

Stan rolled his eyes.

"Dark Lord? Ha!" Stan laughed, then looked at Harry seriously, "Between you and me, I ain't got no evil blood in my body."

Stan grinned, and Harry only nodded as he stared out the window at the scenery rushing by. Stan grabbed the Daily Prophet from his seat and opened it. Harry remembered the first time he had been on the Knight Bus. Sirius Black's face had been on the front page of the Daily Prophet Stan had been reading. It was almost as if Sirius was staring right at Harry. Somehow, thinking about it, it made Harry feel warmer inside.

"Looks like Rita Skeeter's new book is coming out soon," Stan said, "Bet Ern' can't wait for that one. Prophet says it could have been out sooner, but it looks like Rita was waiting for the war to be officially over. Says she wanted more information."

Stan put the Prophet down for a moment and looked at Harry.

"You ask me, I'd actually like to read that book," Stan said, "Maybe she'll talk 'bout that final battle the Ministry's tryin' to hush up. You 'ear about that, Potter? Yeah, seems the Minister 'imself is trying to hush up that battle. Or that is what the Prophet thinks, anyway. Dunno if it is true or not. What'choo think 'bout that?"

Harry shrugged, thinking of the promise he made to the Minister less than thirty minutes prior.

"Yeah," Stan sniffed, "Dunno either. I like the Minister. He's a good man. Hate to think any bad thoughts 'bout that one."

Stan shrugged and went back to reading the Daily Prophet.

-------------------------------------------

Ten minutes later, the Knight Bus arrived at its destination.

"'Ere's your stop, Harry," Stan announced, "Don't be a stranger, now."

Harry nodded and hurried off the bus. Once he was clear of it, the bus roared down the street and disappeared into thin air. Harry saw the number seven, which was the number on the piece of parchment. The house was identical to the houses on each side of it. The only thing that was different was the lawn. It was high enough that Aunt Petunia herself probably would have called the police and demanded that the owner of the lawn be sentenced to life in prison for it.

Harry walked up the grey sidewalk toward the house. He knocked on the door. A minute later, there was still no answer. Harry knocked on the door again, louder this time. Five seconds later, the door opened. Samson Thorpe stood there. Harry immediately noticed the strong odor of what seemed to be firewhiskey.

"What is it?" Thorpe said, slurring his words a bit.

"Sam," Harry said, saying the name Thorpe liked to be called, "It's me. Harry."

"I know who you are, Potter," Sam said, "Come on in."

Harry walked into the house. Sam shut the door behind him and led Harry into the small living room. Harry spotted at least three empty bottles of firewhiskey on the floor near an old chair.

"Was having a one-man party," Sam said, sitting down in the chair with force. "Not every day a wizard gets kicked out of Auror training without a warning."

"Kicked out?" Harry asked, sitting on a couch, "Thought you resigned."

"I did nothing of the bloody sort!" Sam yelled.

"Okay, okay," Harry said, in a calming voice.

"Is that what they're saying?" Sam asked.

"They didn't tell you anything more?" Harry asked.

"No," Sam said, "Shippe marches me up to the Minister's office. First I thought I was getting a one-way ticket right into being an official Auror. You see, he brought up Jasper too. So I thought we both had our names on that list."

Harry knew that "Jasper" referred to Billingsly.

"Billingsly didn't get kicked out, though," Harry said.

"No," Sam said, "Apparently Jasper was just brought along to escort me out after the message was sent. They thought I might do something serious."

Sam scoffed. He took his wand from the table next to his chair. Suddenly, two bottles full of firewhiskey came floating into the room and into his hands.

"You want one?" Sam asked.

"Er... sure," Harry said.

Sam grinned and threw him a bottle. Harry caught it.

"Be a real party now," Sam said, grinning and opening his bottle with his wand, "So... they get you too? Force you to resign?"

"No," Harry said.

"Oh, they will," Sam said, nodding seriously, "You can bet your wand on that. It's a purge, I tell you. A bloody purge. The Aurors don't matter no more, Potter. Yesterday's news now that Voldemort is gone."

Sam scoffed.

"You know," he said, "It's all my father wanted me to do."

Harry listened intently. Now they were on the right subject.

"He wanted me to be an Auror, see," Sam said, "I wanted to be a Quidditch Player."

He put his hands up in quotes.

"Next big thing, Sam 'The Wham' Thorpe," he said, "The best bloody beater in the whole world. My father took that out from under me. Then he was carted off to Azkaban."

"Really?" Harry asked, trying to act surprised, "Why?"

"My mother was a Muggle," Sam said, "She got in what the Muggles call a car accident. Apparently the Ministry took the investigation into their own hands. The head of the division that worked with Muggle stuff at the time. What was his name? Wait --"

Harry's throat went tight. It probably would have been Ron's father. That would have given the Ministry another reason Sam could have wanted revenge.

"Nope," Sam said, "It was on the tip of my tongue. Forgot it. Anyway, my mother was killed in the car accident. They took her car into the Ministry, and whoever the guy was that worked on it must have messed up. Because apparently it seems that the car was tampered with. The Ministry went on believing that my father was the one who tampered with it. So they plugged him with my Mum's murder and carted him off to Azkaban. All because of some bloody mistake one of the Ministry workers must have made."

Harry stared at Sam. Was what he said just the ramblings of someone drunk on firewhiskey? Or could it really be true that Mr. Weasley might have made a mistake and have been the reason Sam's father was sent to Azkaban?

"Sam," Harry said, "Did you ever find out what happened to your father?"

Sam stared right at Harry.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, "My father is still at Azkaban, of course. Though he should be right here with me."

"Sam," Harry said, "I don't think he is in Azkaban."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"You remember when the Death Eaters invaded Azkaban late last year?" Harry asked, "They took a few prisoners with them. I talked to the Minister earlier, Sam. They believe your father went with them."

"Don't say that, Potter," Sam said.

"Sam," Harry said, "As far as I know, it's true. From what I heard, your father was there at the final battle of the Second War. The house caved in during the battle. Sam, I'm sorry to tell you this. Your father was killed during it. The Aurors only found out he was one of the dead a few days ago. And if he wasn't an Auror, then he was part of the Death Eaters."

"No!" Sam bellowed, "You're wrong!"

Sam stood up, and Harry whipped out his wand.

"Protego!" he yelled, creating a shield around him.

Sam bounded off the shield and slammed back into his chair. Harry thought he would attack again, but Sam only shrank back in his chair. Harry heard sobs.

"I don't believe you," Sam said, between sobs.

"I'm sorry, Sam," Harry said.

"Leave me alone," Sam said.

"Sam," Harry said, "I --"

"I said leave me alone!" Sam shouted, "Get out of my house!"

Harry knew it was time to leave. He stood up and set down the unopened bottle of firewhiskey next to Sam. He left the house, shutting the door behind him.

"Goodbye, Sam," he whispered, looking back at the house.

Harry apparated back to Leaky Cauldron. After a quick butterbeer at the bar to calm his nerves, he headed back to his home via Floo Powder. When he arrived, Frederique the owl was perched on the kitchen window. Ares, Harry's new owl, was hooting at him. Harry opened the window and let the owl in. He had two rolled up pieces of parchment in his talons. He dropped them in Harry's hands and perched himself on a chair. Harry filled up a bowl with bird food and another with water, and set them on the table. As Frederique started to eat, Harry looked at the two pieces of parchment. Clearly written on one was Ginny's handwriting reading: "Read mine first!". Harry opened it up and read:

_Harry,_

I was going to write to you as soon as it happened, but Bill, Fleur and Victoire had visited on Saturday, so everything was a mess. Then I hadn't gotten around to writing this until just now. Anyway, I told Mum and Dad that I was planning on moving in with you. Dad was okay with it right away, but of course Mum had her usual "I don't know about this" comments. I tell you, if it wasn't for Dad and Bill backing me up, the whole thing would have gone south. But it looks like everyone is okay with it now. So I guess I can move in with you on your birthday. I mean, if that is all right with you of course. I know it might be a little quick, and let's be honest... moving up there just so I can be closer to the Quidditch camp isn't the main reason, right?

I really miss you, Harry. I wish you'd visit more often. I quit asking Ron how you are days ago, fearing he'd go off his rocker if I asked one more time. Course there wouldn't be many chances to talk to him anyway. He's always with Hermione every chance he gets. Surprised Mum hasn't said anything about it. I think, out of everything, that is the reason they want to find a new house. To get away from Mum, you know. I can't blame them. Speaking of, I think that is what they are doing right now, as I write this letter. Checking out the new house, I mean. They aren't back yet, anyway. You should have been here on Saturday. Apparently Ron had talked to the guy about the house sometime last week, and he called the guy on Saturday. Well, before then, Hermione was probably more jumpy about it then Ron was. She kept going on and on to Ron about how he needed to use the telephone. It was completely mental.

_Anyway, I hope I was the first to tell you about the results of my conversation with my parents. I told Ron not to tell you, and that I would write to you sometime today. Oh, Hermione went in for her interview today. Ron might have told you about that. Hope it went well._

Well, if I don't see you before your birthday, then I just want to say I really miss you. This house isn't the same without you around. It's almost strange to think of the Burrow before you visited it the first time all those years ago. I love you so much. Can't wait for the end of the month.

_Love always,_

_Ginny_

_P.S. Well, as soon as I finished the letter, I heard the fireplace go all bonkers, which could only mean that Ron and Hermione returned. I was right. They were pretty excited, but I think Hermione wanted to tell you herself. She hasn't been able to talk to you much either, apparently. That should tell you how much everyone misses you down here. I'll wait to send this until Hermione finishes her letter._

Harry guessed that the other letter was from Hermione. As he opened it, he found he was right. He read it:

_Harry,_

_Guess what? Ron and I just came back from seeing the house. We love it! We're going to move in a couple days after your birthday. Of course Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were happy, but you could tell they were shocked too. First they find out Ginny's going to move, and now Ron is moving out. It will only be them in the house. I want to say so much about the house, but I'll let Ron tell you when he sees you at work. He's so excited._

Oh, also, I went in for my interview today. You won't believe what happened. Rita Skeeter was there. Yeah. She was the subject of my very first trial. I had to write notes down. It was definitely a hands-on interview. Oh, you remember Susan Bones? Yeah, she is the judge's assistant now. Anyway, Rita was on trial for her book and the way she got some of the information from her sources. Well, apparently she doesn't have many sources. She is the perfect source. You know when I told you that there was someone at Hogwarts who told Rita about the battle. Apparently she lied about that. Yeah, she turned into her beetle Animagus and got all the hands-on information herself. Well, she is still unregistered, and the Ministry found out. Well, long story short, she got sentenced to 3-5 years for being an unregistered Animagus. Serves her right.

_Well, as for me, I went in thinking I would be a Court Scribe. Just copy down notes for trials all day. Well, I sorta do that, but I am the Court Respondent for... get this... the Wizengamot! Yep. Couldn't believe it. I work whenever there is a trial, and I take notes and give them to the Daily Prophet. I gave the notes on the Rita Skeeter case to the Daily Prophet and got 10 galleons for it. I was surprised. _

_Well, I should finish up. Sounds like Ginny wants to send a letter to you too. You know, Harry, you could come down more than once in a while and visit. Not just Ginny of course. All of us. We miss you. Not very fair that Ron is the only one who gets to see you almost every day, you know. And according to him, you aren't as busy as you say you are. Well at least now that me and Ron are moving up to London, we'll be able to see you more often. So excited... we'll have to invite you over. You'll love it!_

_With love,_

_Hermione_

Harry wanted to write back to Ginny, Hermione and the others, but he thought it should wait. He didn't know how he was going to tell them about what he found out. How could he tell Ron that he might be the reason Thorpe's father is dead, and tell Mr. Weasley that he might have been the reason Thorpe's father was in jail in the first place? He didn't know how he was going to tell them that, if he even could.

He let Frederique out the window, then closed it and dumped the rest of the owl food into Ares' cage. Knowing he needed to get all of the stuff out of his mind, he made himself a quick dinner, then settled down to bed early. His dreams were clouded with thoughts of the final battle of the Second War. In his dreams, though, the faces of everyone of his enemies were replaced with those of Samson Thorpe.

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**End of another chapter! Whew, when I started this chapter, I thought I wasn't going to get this one half as long as it went! Call me surprised!**

**Oh, and for those of you who might have caught Stan's comments about Rita Skeeter's book, remember, the Daily Prophet edition was from that day, not the next day which would have been talking about the big news about her trial. So the hype about her book would still be going on. Who knows? I might get into that article a little bit.**

Anyway, I really like where this is going. When I started the story, I had no idea it would get to this. Now I may actually have some storylines! Yay!

**Well, as always, feedback would be great! More to come!**


	7. Chapter 7: No Title

**Chapter 7  
****No Title**

**Author's Note: This chapter will be in multiple PoVs. Again, during Ginny's PoV, I will still refer to her parents as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. There is no title for this chapter, cause I don't want no spoilers.**

**(Ginny's PoV)**

Ginny's footsteps were heard as she hurried down the Burrow's large staircase. It was so early in the morning, that Ginny's mother hadn't even started on breakfast, and the Ministry owl which delivered the Daily Prophet hadn't arrived yet. When Ginny arrived, Mrs. Weasley was the only one in the kitchen.

"You're up early, Ginny," Mrs. Weasley said, as she shuffled through the cupboards, looking for the right pan.

"Yeah," Ginny said, "Um, Mum, is Frederique back?"

"He returned in the middle of the night," Mrs. Weasley said, "Though he didn't have anything with him."

Ginny frowned and sat at the table.

"Were you expecting something?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"I thought Harry might write back," Ginny said.

"It must have been kind of late when Frederique arrived at Harry's house," Mrs. Weasley said, "Maybe he was just too tired to respond. Didn't Ron say that Harry had a new owl?"

"Yeah," Ginny said, "Ares."

"Well, maybe we'll see Ares today," Mrs. Weasley said, smiling.

"Yeah," Ginny said, "Maybe."

Mrs. Weasley sighed and took out a large skillet from the cupboard then shut the door. She took her wand from her pocket and pointed it at the skillet. She muttered a few indistinct words and a flame under the pot turned on, then the pan started to rock back and forth. She then sat down beside Ginny.

"I know how you must be feeling, Ginny," Mrs. Weasley said, "When I was first dating your father, there were many times which I didn't see him for a few days or so. I'd sit by the window, waiting for his owl. You remember that owl before we had Errol?"

Ginny remembered it vaguely. There had been a barn owl in the family before Errol, but it had died when Ginny was four.

"I'd wait for that darn owl to come to my window," Mrs. Weasley said, smiling as she reminisced, "Sometimes it didn't come by for days. Other days, when it did come, sometimes your father's letters were so short, I'd send back the letter itself and your father thought the owl had gotten lost."

Ginny grinned, even though she swore she had heard this story before. More footsteps were heard, and Mr. Weasley walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. He yawned and sat down at the table.

"Daily Prophet hasn't come yet?" he asked.

"Nope," Mrs. Weasley said.

"I thought as much," Mr. Weasley said nodding, "Rumor around the Ministry is that the Daily Prophet was making twice their normal number of copies. It's supposed to be a big edition."

"Well, if you were yesterday afternoon," Mrs. Weasley said, "You would know why."

"What do you mean?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Hermione got a job at the Ministry doing something for the Wizengamot," Ginny said, "And apparently she was there for a big case. She's the new court respondent, and she wrote down the notes for the case and sent them to the Daily Prophet."

"What was the case?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"You'll just have to wait for the Daily Prophet," Mrs. Weasley said, grinning.

"Why were you at work so long anyway, Dad?" Ginny asked.

"Apparently your father's meeting with the Muggle Prime Minister went long," Mrs. Weasley asked, "You should have heard him last night when he came back."

"Well, it wouldn't have been that long if it hadn't started three hours late!" Mr. Weasley exclaimed.

"Here we go again," Mrs. Weasley said.

She stood up and started on breakfast.

"He's obsessing over this bloody millennium party of his," Mr. Weasley said, "I don't know why. It's still a little over four months away. When he's not in meetings with those Muggle policemen of his, he's in meetings with the presidents and CEO's of some of the big stores around London. He's been so busy, he forgot about me."

"But I thought the Ministry usually altered his schedule if you had a meeting with him," Ginny said.

"So did I!" Mr. Weasley said, "Apparently Kingsley forgot about it. He's so busy with something else these days. I just wish I knew what. So anyway, yeah, the meeting was three hours late, and if you believe it, the Muggle Prime Minister was so flustered, he didn't recognize me at first. He wondered how I gotten into the office, then yelled at his very confused secretary, asking if she saw me. I had to explain I came in through the fireplace. That took another ten minutes to explain, when I know very well that he knew exactly what I was talking about. Then it took another three hours, give or take thirty minutes, to convince him that there wasn't going to be any Dark magic or Death Eaters threatening his precious party. I wouldn't be surprised if I have to meet him five more times before the party just to convince him again."

Suddenly a loud hoot was heard from somewhere outside the house.

"Is it Ares?" Ginny asked, jumping up from the table.

"Don't know what Ares looks like," Mrs. Weasley said, looking out the window, "Oh, nope. It's the Ministry owl delivering the Daily Prophet."

Ginny sighed and sat back down. The Ministry owl landed on the windowsill. Mrs. Weasley opened the window, took the paper, and dropped a sickle into the pouch in the owl's beak. The owl gave a muffled hoot of thanks and flew off. Mrs. Weasley walked over to the table and dropped the paper in front of Mr. Weasley. He opened the paper, to where the whole front page was showing. Ginny almost laughed at the large moving picture. Camera flashes lit up the large square as it showed Rita Skeeter turning into a beetle, then turning back into her normal self, over and over again. A smaller picture below that showed Rita being ushered toward a fireplace. Apparently, she was screaming something, though it was silent and indistinct. The large print over the picture read:

**BEST-SELLING AUTHOR, RITA SKEETER, SENTENCED TO 3-5 YEARS IN AZKABAN;  
****NEW BOOK CANCELLED**

Ginny and her father both read the article:

**Early yesterday morning, celebrated best-selling author**

**was spotted in the Ministry of Magic. Where, you ask?  
Well, Courtroom B.**

**Oh, she wasn't there getting the first scoop on a new case.  
No, readers. She WAS the case. A court respondent**

"That's Hermione," Ginny said, "She was hoping they would keep her name anonymous."

She continued reading:

**was there, taking notes for the whole case. The notes  
****can be seen, in whole, in the court respondent's  
****own writing, all on page thirteen. Interesting tidbits  
****you'll notice is that Head Judge Morrison, who was  
****the judge in charge of the case took everything  
****into his own hands. **

**You'll also see that Rita Skeeter, who is usually known  
****for her calm, resolved manner, as seen in many of her  
****interviews (some of which can also be seen be seen on  
****page thirteen), was positively raving during the  
****hearing. She insulted the late, great Albus Dumbledore  
****(which readers will remember was the star of her first book)  
****as well as Bathilda Bagshot, who she had interviewed  
****for her first book. While there were rumors that Rita  
****may have been the reason Bathilda Bagshot is not  
****with us anymore, it wasn't heard from Rita herself.**

"Looks like they didn't put everything in Hermione's notes in the Daily Prophet," Ginny said, "I swear she said that Rita had said something about Bathilda Bagshot."

"There are some things they can't put in the newspaper," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Or won't put in, rather," Mr. Weasley said.

Ginny continued to read:

**Late in the hearing, Head Judge Morrison accused  
****Rita Skeeter that she was an unregistered Animagus.  
****While Rita Skeeter practically denied these accusations,  
****the Head Judge proved his theories and in the end,  
****it was proven that Rita Skeeter can, in fact, turn into  
****a beetle. Because she is unregistered (which is illegal,  
****readers), she was sentenced to 3-5 years in Azkaban.**

**Her new book about the Second War has been canceled.  
No word on if Rita will publish the book when she is released.  
****Reactions from the fans of Rita's can be seen on page  
****fourteen.**

"Well, Rita's misdeeds finally caught up with her," Mr. Weasley said, when he finished.

"Did I hear Rita's name?" Hermione's voice said.

Ginny turned. Hermione and Ron walked in.

"The Daily Prophet came," Ginny said, "You're a star, Hermione."

"What?!" Hermione gasped, rushing over to the paper and looking at it, "I thought --"

"Don't worry," Mr. Weasley said, "They didn't mention you by name."

Hermione sighed, relieved.

"I don't know why," Ron said, "If it was me, I would have begged them to put my name in."

"You two are up early," Mrs. Weasley said.

"We're meeting Harry before we have to go into work," Ron said.

Ginny almost jumped out of her slippers.

"You're going to see Harry?" she asked, "Can I go?"

"Relax, Ginny," Ron said, "We were going to ask you."

"Mum?" Ginny asked, looking at her mother, "Can I --"

"Oh, go on," Mrs. Weasley said, "But get dressed, of course. You can't go in your nighties!"

"Mum!" Ginny said, embarassed.

"Oh and please ask Harry what he wants for his birthday," Mrs. Weasley said, "And if he wants a big party or not."

"You know he never wants a big party, Mum," Ron said.

Ginny hopped out of her chair, almost overturning it, and ran upstairs to get dressed.

**------------------------------------**

Ginny spent so long getting ready that, by the time she got back downstairs, Hermione and Ron were standing by the fireplace with Mrs. Weasley. Mrs. Weasley was holding the small bag of Floo Powder. She sighed as she looked in it.

"Looks like we're almost out again," she said.

"Don't worry, Mum," Ginny said as she walked over to the fireplace, "I'll get some."

Mrs. Weasley chuckled.

"What am I going to do when you guys are gone?" she said, a small tear pooling in her eye.

Five minutes later, Ginny, Ron and Hermione were all safely in the Leaky Cauldron. Ginny almost squealed when she saw Harry sitting at one of the tables.

"Ginny!" Harry said, "What are you doing here?"

"I accidentally let it slip we were coming to have breakfast with you," Ron said, as he and Hermione sat across from Harry.

"Why didn't you write back?" Ginny asked Harry, when she sat beside him.

Harry sighed, and Ginny noticed a delayed response.

"Harry?" Ginny asked.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"Let's just say," Harry said, "That I had a very interesting day yesterday."

"You talked to Kingsley?" Ron asked.

Harry nodded. Ginny listened as Harry told her, Ron and Hermione about what had happened yesterday. He was in the middle of his story when Tom came by.

"Well, the whole gang's here!" he said, "What can I get you today?"

"Four specials, Tom," Harry said, "I'm buying."

"Coming up," Tom said.

He walked away from the table.

"Okay," Harry said, "Where was I?"

"You were at the part where you went over to Thorpe's house," Ron said.

"Oh yeah," Harry said, "Well, I went over to Thorpe's house to try to get him to come back into Auror training. When he answered the door, I could tell he was drunk on firewhiskey."

"See, Ron," Hermione said, "That is why I don't want you to drink that stuff."

"Anyway," Harry pressed on, "We got to talking, and..."

Ginny noticed a pause in Harry's story.

"What's wrong, Harry?" she asked.

"Ron," he said, "You remember that final battle at the Death Eater's hideout, right?"

"How could I forget?" Ron asked, "What does this have to do with Thorpe?"

"Thorpe's father was one of the Azkaban escapees who were fighting there," Harry said.

"Oh," Ron said.

"There's more," Harry said, quietly, "Thorpe's father was in one of the rooms at the top of the house when you were fighting Greyback."

"Wait," Ron said, "You're not saying --"

"When the roof caved in," Harry said, "Thorpe's father got killed in the process."

Hermione covered her mouth with her hand. Ron just looked shocked.

"So," Ron said, "So I – you're saying – I might have killed Thorpe's father?"

"Ron," Hermione said, "You said it was Greyback's spell that brought down the roof."

"What if I'm wrong?" Ron asked, "I mean, I was sending all kinds of spells at Greyback. Besides, if you remember, I ended up in a coma. Maybe I forgot about some of the stuff that happened."

"You couldn't have known," Hermione said, "And even if you did, Thorpe's father was one of the bad guys."

"Thorpe wouldn't see that," Ron said.

"There's more," Harry said.

Ginny, Ron and Hermione looked at him.

"Thorpe's mother was a Muggle," Harry continued, "She was in a car accident a few years ago. Well, apparently the accident was investigated by the Ministry. Ron, the car was a Muggle object. So would that mean that it would have been sent to --"

"Dad's department," Ginny said, "Dad would have still been part of it, and of course he would have wanted to look over the car. Just because it's a Muggle contraption."

"What's this about, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"The reason Thorpe's father was sent to Azkaban," Harry said, "was because he was accused of killing Thorpe's mother."

"But you said she died in a car accident," Ginny said.

"Apparently the car had been tampered with magically," Harry said, "Well, if that's the case, your father would have been the one to discover that. Did your father ever talk about, perhaps, a hearing or something he would have been a part of?"

"He was in all kinds of hearings," Ron said, "Most of them were for toilets that had gone mental or shoes that bit the feet of its victims. Stuff Fred and George would have thought to be hysterical."

"Thorpe says that his father was wrongfully charged with a crime," Harry said, "And he thought that whatever sent his father to prison happened because of that car. He thought it would have been a mistake on part of the person looking over the car – your father."

Ron and Ginny looked shocked.

"Thorpe could have been wrong, Harry," Hermione said.

"I see what you're saying, Harry," Ron said, "Even if Thorpe was wrong, he would have thought he was right. And if he discovered who was behind it, he would have been furious."

"When I was talking to Kingsley yesterday," Harry said, "He told me that he had to let Thorpe go, because his father was working with the Death Eaters. I think he didn't tell me everything. I think he knew that if Thorpe ever found out, he would want his revenge. For the death of his father, and the original reason his father was in Azkaban in the first place."

"I see," Ron said, "Even though I wasn't the one to do it, I would have been connected to both of those."

"Ron," Hermione said.

"It's funny," Ron said, "Yesterday I was actually thinking it would be a good thing if Thorpe was let back into the Aurors."

"I don't think there is anything to worry about, Ron," Hermione said, "I mean... Harry, didn't you say that they weren't going to let Thorpe back into the Ministry?"

Harry nodded.

"And then you have to remember," Hermione said to Ron, "that Thorpe doesn't even know who is responsible for any of it."

Ron nodded, though he still looked unsure. Tom came back over and served their plates. When everyone thanked him, he went back to the bar. Ginny noticed that Ron, who usually dug right into his food, was only playing with it.

"So, Ron," Harry said, trying to change the subject, "Hermione said in her letter that you wanted to be the one to tell me about the house?"

Ron shrugged.

"It's great," he simply said.

"Yeah?" Harry asked.

Hermione looked at Ron. She shook her head and looked at Harry.

"It's better than great," she said, "I mean, of course it's only one bedroom, but the house is only temporary. But even then, its pretty nice. The real estate agent knew my parents too. He's one of their patients. I need to write to them today. Forgot to do it yesterday. Anyway, yeah, the agent said that the furniture comes with the house. The company who owns the furniture is a partner of the agency. So we don't have to worry about that."

She looked back at Ron, expecting him to say something about the house. When he didn't, she turned back to Harry.

"So have you read the Daily Prophet today?" she asked him.

"Not yet," Harry said, "But I swear, every time I turn around, someone is reading one. Did I see Rita Skeeter's face on the front page?"

"Yeah," Hermione said, "But my notes are on page thirteen, I think. Well, most of them. They didn't put all of them in like the guy I talked to promised. Apparently they didn't want the public to know what had happened to Bathilda Bagshot. I was beginning to wonder if Morrison was bringing up more charges on Rita for that, so maybe he didn't want the public to know about it. I need to ask him. Harry? Something wrong?"

Ginny looked up from her food, and noticed that Harry was staring past her. Ginny turned around. She immediately saw what Harry saw. Draco Malfoy was walking through the Leaky Cauldron, towards Diagon Alley. He wasn't alone. A girl Ginny vaguely recognized was walking with him.

"Who's that?" Harry asked, nodding to the girl.

"Astoria Greengrass," Hermione said, "Her sister, Daphne, was in our year."

"What's she doing with Draco?" Harry asked.

"I think I know," Hermione said, grinning.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Hermione asked, grinning, "They're dating, Harry!"

Ginny sniggered.

"Oh, come on now!" Hermione said, "It isn't that surprising. Malfoy can date too."

"How old is Astoria?" Harry said.

"I think she was a couple years younger than Daphne," Hermione said, "So she's probably about to be in her seventh year."

"I thought Draco was with Pansy Parkinson," Ginny said.

"Pansy broke it off with Draco," Hermione said, "When he wouldn't pay attention to her in sixth year. I mean, your fifth year, Ginny."

"Oh yeah," Ginny said.

"Well, I will say Astoria's much prettier than Pansy," Harry said.

Ginny smacked him playfully on the shoulder.

"Ow, what?" he said, laughing.

"I heard that," Ginny said.

"Oh come now," Harry said, "Your leagues prettier than Astoria. I'm just saying she's prettier than Pansy."

"Well, that isn't very hard to do, is it?" Ron said.

"Finally caught up, have you?" Hermione asked him.

"Yeah, yeah," Ron said.

"Well, I think it is nice that Draco's found someone to be with," Hermione said, starting on her breakfast, "especially if it will help him forget about everything that's happened to him."

"I wonder how Lucius and Narcissa are doing anyway," Harry said, "Haven't heard from them much since they got their pardon, have we?"

Ginny shook her head and started on her breakfast.

-------------------------------------------

(**Draco's POV)**"Oh, it's finally looking so lovely here again, Draco," Astoria said, as she and Draco walked down the cobbled pavement of Diagon Alley, "Remember how gloomy it looked not long ago?"

"Yeah, whatever," Draco said, "How long are we going to be, anyway?"

"Oh, don't start it," Astoria said, "I could spend all day here with you."

Draco rolled his eyes at the way Astoria had said "with you".

"Would you keep it down?" Draco muttered, "Bloody hell."

He was fully aware that he had seen Harry Potter and his little group of friends in the Leaky Cauldron. He couldn't bear to think what they would say if they knew he was dating Astoria Greengrass. Though, it was very rare that he referred to it as dating.

Even though he had known Astoria for almost seven years, he hadn't paid much attention to her until his final year at Hogwarts, in which he had only returned because he was forced to, along with his father who had become a temporary professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts. His father was forced into the job by the Minister of Magic. Of course, his father was now done with that job, and ever since then, he rarely left the Manor these days.

Oh, any one of Draco's friends could have told you that he was actually much more fond of Astoria Greengrass then he let on. In fact, if it hadn't been for Pansy Parkinson, he might have started dating Astoria back in his days at Hogwarts, even if she was a couple years younger than him.

Astoria was quite beautiful, in his opinion. Her long blonde hair reminded Draco of a veela, though Astoria told him there was no trace of veela in her family. Astoria was pale, and she sort of reminded Draco of his mother. The only thing that might have been wrong with Astoria (well, enough to the point that he told his friends it was a turn-off) was that even though she was a Slytherin, she never acted like your normal Slytherin. She was very cheery. Almost to the point of annoyance.

The best thing about Astoria, though, was that being with her made Draco forget of his days of isolation in the safe-house, and the days when he and his parents had been captured by the Death Eaters. He used to have bad nightmares of that isolation, and rogue Death Eaters that would come and take him away. And bad nightmares of where they finally succeeded. Whenever Astoria asked him about those days, he either yelled at her and told her to forget it, or went deathly quiet.

"So, Draco," Astoria said, batting her eyelashes at him, "What do you want to do?"

"What?" Draco asked, "I thought we were here to do your Hogwarts shopping?"

"Oh, that can wait," Astoria said, "Besides, that was just an excuse to be with you. You know we only have a little over a month before I have to go back to Hogwarts? Then I won't get to see you for a while."

She got closer to him and wrapped her arms around him. Draco looked around to make sure nobody was looking. He would probably die of embarrassment right then and there if they were.

"You will miss me, right?" Astoria asked.

"Yeah, of course," Draco said, almost mechanically.

"You aren't going to cheat on me, are you?" Astoria said, pouting, "You know Daphne's friends with Pansy Parkinson, right? Daphne told me that Pansy's talking about you again. Apparently she misses you."

Astoria scoffed in disgust.

"Draco," she said, "I don't know what I'd do if I found out you left me for her."

"I wouldn't do that," Draco said.

Which was the honest truth. He wanted nothing more to do with Pansy Parkinson.

"Oh yeah?" Astoria said, "Prove it to me."

Astoria backed away. She forced off a ring from her finger and showed it to Draco.

"Mum gave me it," Astoria said, "She says it's a promise ring that Daddy gave her back when they were first dating. Supposed to have magical powers. Draco, I want you to wear it."

"What's it do?" Draco asked.

"Nothing," Astoria said, "Honestly."

"I don't know," Draco said.

"You don't want to wear it?" Astoria said, pouting.

Draco sighed.

"Oh, fine," Draco said, "Give it to me."

"I have to put it on your finger," Astoria said, "Otherwise it's worthless."

"You just said it does nothing!" Draco said.

"It's just the magic of the ring. Besides," Astoria said, looking right into Draco's eyes, "It's romantic."

Draco did his best to not roll his eyes. Astoria put the ring on Draco's finger.

"You do love me, right?" she asked him.

"Yeah, of course," Draco said.

"Say it," Astoria said, "Draco, I want you to say it."

Draco scowled under his breath. Astoria looked into his eyes. He stared at her eyes, so beautiful, so mesmerizing, he was almost lost in them.

"I love you," he said.

Astoria grinned.

"I love you too, Draco," she said.

She kissed him, and he felt his face go hot. Though at the moment, he didn't know if it was embarrassment that it was in public, or if it was because of his feelings for her.

-------------------------------------------------

**A/N: Whew! Another chapter done. Well, I was looking for a way to put Draco into this story, just cause I know I got a lot of response for how well I handled his character in the prequel to this story. Oh, and if your vision of Astoria is completely different than how I wrote her, I'm sorry. I just love the way I wrote her. I might put Lucius and Narcissa in the story somehow. I have ideas, but I don't know if it will work. **

**Time-line wise, there is still a couple weeks until Harry's birthday, which I can't wait for, but I should with a couple more chapters or so. We'll just see where it goes. **

**I love reading your feedback, cause it helps me with my story. So, as always, it would be wonderful to see it again.**


	8. Narcissa Malfoy's New Job

**Chapter 8  
****Narcissa Malfoy's New Job**

**Author's Note: This will be in two different PoVs.**

**(Hermione's POV)**

It was almost eight when Hermione said goodbye to Ron and Harry, as they left the lifts and headed for the Auror Department. Hermione was the only one left in the lifts, but it stopped a couple floors above the bottom floor that was her stop. Susan Bones stepped into the lifts. She was carrying a large folder of documents, as well as a copy of the Daily Prophet.

"Hey, Hermione!" she said, as the lifts closed once again, "Ready for your first official day at work?"

"Yep," Hermione said.

"That's the spirit!" Susan said, "Hey, I was just reading the Daily Prophet at breakfast. Pretty exciting, huh?"

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Your notes being put into the Daily Prophet, of course!" Susan said, "That doesn't happen to everyone, now does it? They were great to read too, even if they were your first notes and they were on the biggest case of the year."

"Biggest case of the year?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, come on, Hermione," Susan scoffed, waving her hand, "You must have realized that Rita Skeeter was a common celebrity in the wizarding world, what with her books and stuff."

"I wasn't too fond of her," Hermione said.

"Well, if I can be frank," Susan said, "I wasn't very fond of her either. You know she tried to write an "In Memory" article for my Auntie Amelia after she died? Yeah. That didn't go over too well with the family. But that's another story."

Hermione nodded. The lifts opened and Hermione and Susan walked out of them.

"We're in one of the big courtrooms today," Susan said, "We have a couple of cases in there. One before lunch and one after. And, if I may say, that latter case could be bigger than Rita's."

"Who's it for?" Hermione asked.

Susan was about to answer, when the doors to one of the smaller courtrooms opened. Head Judge Morrison walked out, surrounded by four or five witches and wizards who looked like reporters. Hermione recognized Rita's old camera man, though she couldn't remember his name. He was standing near one of the Daily Prophet reporters and taking pictures of Morrison.

"Is there any chance that Rita Skeeter could appeal her case?" one reporter asked.

"Of course there is a chance," Morrison said, "And if she does, I will make sure that I will be a part of it."

"Will Rita Skeeter be charged, in any way," another reporter asked, "with Bathilda Bagshot's death?"

"That investigation is still going on," Morrison said, "I am not in charge of it. You'll have to talk to the Auror department about that."

"Do you know who is the anonymous Court Respondent who took the notes for the Rita Skeeter case?" a third reporter asked, "I would love to interview them. It was quite the article."

Hermione looked right at Morrison, when she heard the question. Morrison met her glance for a mere second, then looked back at the reporter.

"I have promised anonymity for the Court Respondent of that case," Morrison said, "It will be his, or her, choice to give their name and decide if they want an interview. If any of you, or any other reporters try to discover the identity before that time, they will be brought up on serious charges, you can bet on that. And I will look over that case myself. This interview is over. I have a case to go to."

The reporters tried to ask what case he was going to, but Morrison pushed through them.

"Don't talk to Morrison until we're safely in the court room," Susan whispered to Hermione.

Hermione nodded and followed Susan into Courtroom E.

"Thank you for that, Herb," Hermione said, when she, Susan and Morrison were in the courtroom.

Morrison turned to her and smiled.

"You're quite welcome," he said, "Besides, I used to be in your position, and I was the Court Respondent for one of the Death Eaters cases after the end of the first war. Like you, I didn't want to have my name in the Daily Prophet then. I completely understand what you are dealing with, Hermione."

Hermione smiled gratefully.

"Herb, I have a question," she said.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" Morrison asked.

"There was one reporter who knows who I am," Hermione said, "He was the one who took my notes. I'd assume he was the one who wrote the article."

"Ah, yes," Morrison said, "You don't need to worry about him."

Hermione looked at Morrison, confused.

"He is a close, personal friend of mine, you see," Morrison said, "Like you and I, he used to be a Court Respondent himself. He chose to go down the path of journalism instead. I trust, Miss Granger, that is not your path?"

"No, sir," Hermione said.

"Wonderful," Morrison said.

He smiled and walked up the stairway.

"It was I who alerted that reporter," Susan whispered to Hermione, as they followed Morrison, "That was one of the reasons Herb told me to go to the Daily Prophet yesterday. We just wanted to make sure he was the first reporter on the scene."

"Thanks," Hermione said.

Susan just smiled.

----------------------------------------------------

The first of the two cases turned out to be a possible misuse of spells, or in this case, the use of an Unforgivable Curse. It was proven that the defendant, a man only a few years older than Hermione, had not used the Imperius Curse. The witness to the scene, who had thought they had heard the man using the curse on somebody, turned out to be seventy percent deaf. The case was basically over when Morrison realized he had to keep raising his voice so that the defendant may hear him clearly, and realized that the man probably had mistaken the spell for an Unforgivable Curse when it turned out to be the Impervius Charm, a charm used to keep things away from the caster. The case, which Hermione thought could have taken less than an hour, took at least twice as long, because it had to be medically proven that the witness was, in fact, deaf.

After the case, Hermione was very confused as to why someone as important as Judge Morrison would have to take a case like that. She asked Susan about it during an early lunch.

"Oh, believe me," Susan said, "This isn't the first time Herb has had to deal with bizarre cases. Of course, you must understand that because the original charge was an Unforgivable Curse, that Herb was one of the judges who usually took on a case like that. And since Morrison is such a popular judge, his name always comes up first."

She took a sip of butterbeer and laughed lightly.

"I remember a case Herb resided over," she said, "Had to do with the ownership of a dragon. Well, of course, outside the colonies where dragons are kept, they are illegal to keep as pets. I don't know why anyone would want to keep one as a pet. Other than Hagrid, of course. Anyway, if you believe it, the dragon was actually brought into the courtroom, yeah!"

"No joke?" Hermione asked.

"Nope," Susan said, "the defendant had tried to prove that it was just a bad experiment gone wrong. That the dragon was actually a dog that had been transfigured. Of course, spells were cast to attempt to reverse the enchantment. No spell could do it. The defendant just argued that it was a very good spell. He even tried to do those tricks that Muggles are known for. Throwing sticks and those fizzy things."

"Frizbees?" Hermione asked.

"That's it," Susan said, "Of course, the dragon went after the sticks. It was argued that the dragon was just highly trained. In the end, the man was found guilty, and sentenced to five years in Azkaban. Then two weeks later, one of the dragon colonies over in Romania got quite the surprise. One of their dragons turned into a dog!"

Hermione laughed.

"Bet the story is still told over there," Susan said, "Herb gets a laugh out of it now and then at his parties. Anyway, the man is now free. Don't think he'll ever try to turn his dog into a dragon again though."

"No, I guess not," Hermione said.

"But for every one of the bizarre cases Herb as resided over," Susan said, "There are, at least, three times more serious cases. Some just as serious as Rita's case. Just like this case we are about to witness."

"Who is the defendant?" Hermione asked again.

"You'll see," Susan said, grinning.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Please don't tell me it's another case that I might have personal feelings for?" she asked.

"Ask me that again in about an hour," Susan said, before taking a long sip of butterbeer.

--------------------------------------

An hour later, Hermione was, once again, in her seat in Courtroom E. A large stack of parchment was beside her. She had a quill ready, along with five or six more sitting neatly beside a large bottle of ink. Susan was, once again, seated beside Hermione, though Hermione didn't question the matter. Head Judge Morrison was seated in the middle of the Wizengamot. All were conversing between themselves, but went silent when Morrison asked them to be. He stood up and looked at the door of the courtroom.

"Will the defendants please come in," he said.

A second later, the doors squeaked open and two people walked in that Hermione immediately recognized: Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. Behind them, looking enraged, was a man who looked to be the same age as Morrison. The man was dressed in a business suit and tie. He had a briefcase in his hand. Lucius and Narcissa sat down, calmly, but the man went to the middle of courtroom floor.

"Head Judge Morrison," he said, and Hermione started writing, "May I state that my clients have been pardoned by Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt, and as so --"

"Are cleared of any charge," Morrison interrupted simply, "against them directing to the term Death Eaters, Dark Arts or Lord Voldemort and their involvement with said terms."

"Precisely," the man said, "And may it also be known that the Minister proudly pardoned them, stating that any man or woman could change their ways."

"It is known, yes," Morrison said.

Hermione leaned over to Susan.

"Is it me," she said, "Or do Herb and this guy seem more... chummy... than usual?"

Susan smiled.

"They were classmates at Hogwarts long ago," Susan said. "Herb was a Gryffindor. Three guesses which house that lawyer was in."

"Slytherin," Hermione said, grinning.

"I'm not sure if it's true or not," Susan said, "But I've heard rumors that every lawyer in the area used to be a Slytherin at Hogwarts at one point or another."

Hermione wouldn't be surprised.

"However, Mr. Sears," Morrison said to the lawyer, and Hermione continued, "This case does not directly affect that in which Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy have been pardoned to."

"It does not?" Sears asked, "Am I wrong to say that this case is about the continued length of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy's house-arrest."

"It is," Morrison said.

"And isn't the house-arrest," Sears said, "An after-effect of --"

"The house-arrest, as you very well know, Sears," Morrison interrupted, "was added after the pardon by the Minister of Magic. A deal was made that the pardon would last if Lucius and Narcissa volunteered themselves to some kind of charity work. Lucius Malfoy became the temporary Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, under the supervision of Professor Minerva McGonagall. He was to complete the term that retired Professor Emelius Browne would have been meant to finish. It was also decided for the boy's benefit, that Lucius and Narcissa's son, Draco Malfoy, would finish out his education, though in a 'fast-forward session.' Narcissa Malfoy, however, would not volunteer herself to a duty set out by the Minister of Magic. Is this correct, Narcissa?"

Narcissa did not answer.

"Narcissa Malfoy," Morrison said, "had been quoted to say that she had 'felt that the duty requested by the Minister was beneath me, given the fact that I am a woman of such noble and important status'. End quote."

Most of the Wizengamot looked disgusted.

"The Minister of Magic did not take this as a reason to omit her from her services," Morrison continued, "And because of her refusal, she was condemning her and her husband to house arrest, even after her husband's service was finished at Hogwarts. This hearing, Mr. Sears, is to see whether Narcissa continues to deny that which the Minister requested upon her."

"May I speak?" Lucius spoke up.

"This is your case, Mr. Malfoy," Morrison said, "You may speak."

"While I regret my wife's decision to deny the Minister's requests," Morrison asked, "I also take responsibility for it."

Hermione scoffed under her breath.

"It is true that the Malfoy line," Lucius said, "And the Black line in which my wife's blood resides from, is looked upon as noble and important. As a fellow pure-blood, your honor, I trust you can see where I am coming from."

"One's blood is not being judged here today, Mr. Malfoy," Morrison said.

"I apologize, your honor," Lucius said, "But wouldn't it, at the very least, have something to do with it? My wife's denial of the Minister's request traces back to the way she was treated from a child. She has never been known as a working woman. Even as an adult, all my wife has done has taken care of my son. Now, I feel responsible for that. Being the man of the house, I was the one who worked for our living. Even though I had inherited my wealth from my family, I still believed I had to work for it. So I think it could be understood that my wife simply did not accept her volunteer work because she wouldn't do it, but because she couldn't do it."

"You know, as well as I do, Mr. Malfoy," Morrison said, "That your theory is, for want of a better term, nothing but complete and utter rubbish. Every man and woman, witch, wizard and Muggle, in this world can work unless their body disables them from it. I see no disability ailing your wife. While I could understand that Mrs. Malfoy could have a touch of agoraphobia, I wouldn't bet on it. Because of the events surrounding yourself, Mr. Malfoy, your wife and your son earlier this year, I would guess that your past few weeks of house-arrest haven't been kind for you. The two of you need to get out of your house sometimes, I think. The only way this would work is if your wife, yes Mr. Malfoy, your wife agreed to the volunteer work."

Narcissa and her lawyer talked in hushed whispers. Sears stood up and looked at Morrison.

"What is your suggestion?" he asked the judge.

"Well," Morrison said, "it seems that my new Court Respondent – and this is no offense to you, Miss Granger – that she is too good at her job for her own good."

Hermione didn't know whether to smile or look confused at this comment of Herb's. She didn't have time to ponder it. She was fully aware that Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy had finally noticed her. Narcissa looked at her with apparent hatred.

"It has come to my attention," Morrison said, "that the Daily Prophet reports are wanting to know who the Court Respondent is. Miss Granger, however does not want to reveal her identity, otherwise she may be subject to more attention than she needs. So, Narcissa, your new volunteer work, starting tomorrow, will be to deliver Miss Granger's notes to the Daily Prophet. Now, Mrs. Malfoy, and this is the most important. If you were to, say, reveal Miss Granger's identity to the Daily Prophet reporters, the Minister of Magic will reverse your and your dear husband's pardon and you will be sent back to Azkaban with new charges. Is this completely understood?"

Mr. Sears whispered to Narcissa. Narcissa was shaking her head, but Lucius said something, and Narcissa nodded her head. Mr. Sears patted her on the back and stood up. He looked at Morrison.

"We agree to these terms," Mr. Sears, "Narcissa will be here tomorrow morning at nine-o-clock."

"She should know that if she does not show up for work at any time," Mr. Sears said, "That she and her husband are subject to the reversal of pardon."

"It is understood," Mr. Sears said.

"Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy," Morrison said, "From this point on, as long as you follow the rules set to you, you are now released from your house-arrest. Court is adjourned. Narcissa, please stay after to talk to my assistant Miss Bones and to get your Ministry pass."

Morrison tapped his wand, indicating the end of the case. Susan stood up and walked down the stairs, following the Malfoys and their lawyer out the door.

Morrison stood up and walked over to Hermione who was finishing her notes.

"I do hope I didn't embarrass you, Miss Granger," he said to her.

"No, sir," Hermione said.

"You do not have objections to Narcissa Malfoy working with us, do you?" Morrison asked, "She won't really be working for us. Not directly. It is only a simple messenger job."

"I'm fine with it," Hermione said.

Morrison chuckled.

"Once you get those notes done," he said, "take them and the other case's notes to the Daily Prophet. That man you met yesterday, his name is Miller. He'll be there to take your notes. Also let him be aware that Narcissa Malfoy will be delivering the notes to him from now on. After that, you are free to go."

"Yes, sir," Hermione said, "Good day."

"Good day to you too," Morrison said.

He smiled and walked down the stairs, then left the courtroom. Hermione had decided not to tell Morrison that she had problems in the past with the Malfoy family. She just hoped that didn't come back to bite her.

----------------------------------------------------

(**Draco's POV)**Draco's date with Astoria ended at three-o-clock, though Draco felt it had gone on for days. He liked Astoria, to the point that he was, in fact, in love with her. But there were some points where she annoyed him. She was too cherry for her own good. Draco wondered if there was a way he could change that about her. He didn't want to leave her. He wondered, when he was alone and nobody was around to hear him, if Astoria Greengrass was the girl for him. If she could, possible, be the future Mrs. Draco Malfoy. Of course, he wouldn't admit that to anyone... yet. They would think he had gone soft or something, which he had most definitely not. Though, sometimes he felt as if his heart had grown two or three sizes in his chest ever since he had met Astoria.

After a very non-verbal goodbye and a promise that he'd see Astoria soon, Draco went to Malfoy Manor via Floo Powder. He was about to announce that he was home, when he heard the front door slam.

"We should fire Maximus, Lucius," Narcissa said, almost to a point of screaming, "Never have I been so... so... humiliated in my life!"

"There was nothing more he could have done, dear," Lucius said.

"Well, he didn't have to make me suffer like this!" Narcissa said, "Now I have to work with that... that Mudblood, Granger! And doing what? Work that any of our house-elves could have easily done. That's what!"

"Calm down, Narcissa," Lucius said, as he followed his wife into the living room where Draco was.

Lucius looked away from his wife for a mere moment, and saw his son standing there.

"Son, what are you doing back so early?" he asked, "I thought you were spending the day with Miss Greengrass."

"I just got back," Draco said, "Where have you two been? What's mom raving about?"

Narcissa looked at Draco, then her husband. She looked kind of frightened. Lucius sat down in his large chair and cleared his throat.

"Son," he said, trying to find the words, "Your mother and I haven't been completely honest with you."

"What are you talking about, Father?" Draco asked.

"A couple days ago," Lucius said, "You asked me why your mother and I never leave the house anymore. Do you remember?"

"Of course," Draco said, "I thought it might have been the after-effects of our capture. That you just didn't trust anybody at the moment."

"That's not... entirely true," Lucius said, "You see... Minister of Magic Shacklebolt sentenced us to house-arrest shortly after your graduation from Hogwarts."

"What?" Draco asked, "But he pardoned you. How could he --"

"I believe you know that my employment at Hogwarts was volunteer work," Lucius said.

"Yes," Draco said.

"Well, it was volunteer work that the Minister of Magic had ordered me to do," he said, half-disgusted, "He also asked your mother to do volunteer work. Well, you know your mother. She has never done an honest day's work in her life."

Narcissa scoffed.

"Oh, you know it's true, Narcissa," Lucius said, without taking his eyes off his son, "Anyway, son, because of that, we were sentenced to house-arrest. Today, we were ordered to go into the Ministry of Magic and go in front of the Wizengamot. It was decided, in the end, that we were free of the house-arrest, but your mother had to do her volunteer work. So, starting tomorrow, your mother is messenger witch for the Wizengamot. And, if you must know, she works directly with your former classmate, Hermione Granger."

Draco almost laughed. He could understand why his mother was so disgusted.

"It seems that Miss Granger has had a run with fame lately," Lucius said, "And the Daily Prophet wants to interview her. The catch is that they don't know exactly who she is. Her job is, apparently, to take notes on the Wizengamot's cases and give them to the Daily Prophet. Well, now Head Judge Morrison has relieved some of her burden and given it to your mother. Now your mother delivers Miss Granger's notes to the Daily Prophet."

"That doesn't sound so bad," Draco said.

"Why don't you do it, then!" Narcissa said, her voice deep with rage.

"Dear, you know very well it must be you," he said, looking at Narcissa, then back to Draco, "You see, son, if your mother doesn't do her job, or if she reveals Miss Granger's identity to the Daily Prophet, then that pardon that the Minister gave us will be reversed. As you can probably guess, that means that your mother and I would be going back to Azkaban."

"And there is no way out of it?" Draco asked, "I mean, can't Sears --"

"Sears can go to bloody, rotten hell!" Narcissa interrupted, her rage rising higher.

"No, Draco," Lucius said, ignoring his wife, "Sears can't do a single thing about it."

He sighed and raised a dismissive hand.

"But there is no use crying over spilled potion, as the saying goes," he said, "So, son? How did your... outing with Miss Greengrass go?"

"It was... nice," Draco said.

"Oh, come now, Draco," Lucius said, "You can't fool me. Do you have feelings for the girl or not?"

"Father!" Draco said, scoffing, "This isn't exactly the kind of discussion..."

His voice trailed off as his father stared at him. He sighed.

"Yeah, Father," he said, "She's great. She's... she's bloody fantastic."

"Well, that's wonderful!" Lucius said, "You know, I haven't spoken to Mr. and Mrs. Greengrass in a while. Perhaps we should invite them over for dinner sometimes. I would love to meet... what is her name? Astoria?"

"Yeah," Draco said.

"I'd love to meet the girl who caught your eye, Draco," Lucius said, "Dear, what do you think?"

"I think," Narcissa said, standing up, "I'm going to take an early nightcap or three and go to bed early."

"Dear, it's not even four in the afternoon!" Lucius exclaimed.

"Apparently my headache doesn't know how to keep time!" Narcissa retorted, and she left the living room, muttering.

Lucius looked at Draco, shaking his head.

"Son," he said, "You better pray Miss Greengrass is never like that."

Draco privately agreed, but then remembered that Astoria was so cheery that he probably wouldn't have to worry about that. At that moment, Draco realized that maybe there was no reason to change Astoria at all. Especially if it would mean that she'd never end up like his mother.

-----------------------------------------  
**A/N: End of another chapter! You know, as I was writing, I remembered why I really loved writing the Malfoys. But not as much as writing Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione, so of course there will be much more of the main two couples.**

More to come soon! Feedback would be great!


	9. Harry's Birthday Part 1

**Chapter 9  
****Harry's Birthday – Part 1**

**Author's Note: Well, I wanted to get to Harry's birthday, so I'll just do a time-skip, but I'll describe some of the more important events that happened up until then at the start of the chapter. This chapter will be the few hours before Harry's birthday. If I had the birthday, the chapter would have been really long! So this is part one.**

As the days counted down to Harry's birthday, everyone was keeping busy, and the party was the last thing on everyone's mind.

After he had talked to his friends about his visit to Thorpe's house, Harry had decided it was best to not bring it up again. It was obvious Thorpe wasn't returning to the Auror department, and Harry hadn't given another thought about it since then. If anybody had asked Harry why he had been so interested in Thorpe's well-being, he couldn't have told them. Thorpe wasn't exactly the nicest person to talk to, even when he was completely sober. Harry was only interested in helping Thorpe that day because he had really wanted to find out what Kingsley Shacklebolt was up to. Since then, he hadn't gotten any more answers from Kingsley, and thought it was just best to leave the matter alone. It hadn't really affected him personally anyway, and he thought it was best that he didn't make it any worse.

Even though Harry was keeping silent about it, many of the other Aurors-in-Training weren't. Billingsly was one of many who were giving their own theories as to why Thorpe hadn't returned, and when they came to realize the truth of the matter, they were all boasting that they had no involvement in any way with Death Eaters. There were times when Harry thought Shippe would put an end to it, but it seemed Shippe didn't want to, or perhaps couldn't, talk about it. Harry had wondered if the Minister had now turned his investigations to other departments. And now it seemed that Kingsley was now investigating some his former co-workers in the Auror department.

A week before Harry's birthday, Ron and Hermione had another visit with the real-estate agent. It was a short meeting just to make sure they were still wanting to take the house, and when they answered positively, they were to fill out the paper work. After all of that was done, which Mr. Wycott happily referred to as "the boring part", he told Ron and Hermione that all the furniture would be in the house by the time they moved in on the first of August.

Ever since the Rita Skeeter case and the Malfoy case, Hermione hadn't had many more interesting cases. Most were little things like the misuse of spells, or other minor crimes, while other cases had to do with the Minister of Magic's investigations. There were three cases in two weeks that had to do with the investigations. Two turned out to be nothing serious, though Hermione was sure the latter of the two could turn out to be a lawsuit. The witch did seem pretty angry toward the accusation that her past had been associated with the Dark Arts. The last of the three investigation-related cases turned out to be pretty interesting though. It had turned out that the witch was the wife of one of the lesser-known Death Eaters. She had changed her name when the Death Eater had been captured and had finally been caught. Morrison had convicted her of keeping crucial information from the Ministry and she was now in Azkaban for one year.

Hermione and Narcissa Malfoy had coexisted quite harmoniously. It was true, there were a few dark stares from Narcissa toward Hermione, but as long as Hermione's only conversations with Narcissa consisted of those that had to do with work, it seemed that Narcissa was doing just fine.

The week preceding Harry's birthday was a very busy one in the Burrow. Mrs. Weasley was planning the party, giving out invitations to friends and family. She had immersed herself in the plans and it was obvious why.

Ginny, Ron and Hermione would be moved out of the house by the following Monday, and they were packing their things, making sure they didn't forget anything, and were planning it all out. Because Ron and Hermione were working during the day all that week, they were packing in the late afternoon and at night. While the three of them packed, it was hard to ignore Mrs. Weasley's reactions to it. Most of the time, she was very teary, but no one could blame her. The house that once was home to nine witches and wizards was about to be the home of only two.

When Ginny wasn't packing, she was helping with the party planning. Her mother insisted that she had helped and Ginny was only too happy to help if it meant that it would keep her mother happy. But when she had a rare free moment, she was also training for Quidditch. The first day of camp would begin the second week of August, and it had seemed to sneak up on Ginny. She knew that she wouldn't get a single moment of training in in that last week before camp, so she was working harder than ever.

It was hard at first, but on Wednesday, three days before Harry's birthday, George wrote saying that he and Angelina had returned from their long honeymoon. They wouldn't open up Weasley's Wizard Wheezes until the first of the month, so they had some free time. Mrs. Weasley wrote back, inviting them both to the party, and Ginny adding her own request, asking George if he would come a few days early and help her with her training. It turned out better than she planned. George and Angelina turned up and were both happy to help Ginny with her training (if only because they wanted to keep away from Mrs. Weasley's party planning). So Ginny was able to get in some great training, and by the time the eve of Harry's party came around, Ginny felt she was ready.

----------------------------------------------------

(**Ginny's POV)**On Saturday, Harry's birthday, Ginny woke up before sunrise and made sure that she was packed up and ready to move in with Harry as soon as the party was over. The night before, she wrote to Harry, telling him about her plan: after the party, she would magically transport her things to Harry's house and that would be it. Harry wrote back, saying he was fine with it, and that he had the spare bedroom ready for her. Ginny's reaction to that was of surprise and relief. Of course, she and Harry wouldn't sleep in the same bed at first. Both knew they weren't ready for it. But she was about to do what she had dreamed of for years: she was about to start her life with Harry.

One might say that to think about it would be to move to fast with it, but to Ginny, she felt she and Harry weren't moving that fast at all. Anyway, wasn't it true that Hermione had moved into the Burrow, with Ron, just days after she had graduated from Hogwarts? Now she and Ron were about to move into a house of their own. Compared to that, Ginny felt that her relationship with Harry was moving slow.

After making sure everything was ready, Ginny left her room and walked down to the bottom floor of the house. Her mother was in the kitchen. The aroma of Harry's birthday cake baking in the oven was mixed with the aromas of the early breakfast.

"Morning, Ginny," she said, then frowned.

Ginny was about to ask her mother what was wrong, though she knew the answer already. Today would be the last time her mother would be able to say good morning to her. It would be the last time for a lot of things, Ginny realized. She wouldn't wake up in that small bed in her bedroom anymore. She wouldn't get to make her way down the staircase to the bottom floor anymore, basking in the aroma of an early Molly Weasley breakfast. Ginny smiled at her mother and hugged her.

"What was that for?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"I know how you must feel," Ginny said, "You're not the only one who realizes how much this place is about to change."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Mrs. Weasley said, smiling and waving her hand, dismissively, "I knew it was bound to happen, you know. I can't keep you here, from your life. I'll be fine, Ginny. It will just be like it used to be when you kids were away at Hogwarts. Except this time, you won't – won't be coming back."

Ginny saw a tear in her mother's eye. She hugged her again and Mrs. Weasley smiled again.

"Don't mind me," she said, "Being silly."

"I'm going to take a walk around the property," Ginny said, "For old time's sake, you know."

"You might run into Ron and Hermione while you're out there, then," Mrs. Weasley said, "They did the same thing. Went out about twenty minutes ago. I think they were heading for the lake."

Ginny nodded and walked out the back door. She breathed in the fresh air and started off toward the lake. As she walked, she remembered all the days and nights she spent out there over the years. Eating dinner outside, when the whole family, and their friends, had visited during birthday parties. She laughed when she remembered the night before they went to the Quidditch World Cup, when Bill and Charlie were dueling with tables. Percy had yelled out his window, telling them to stop because he was working. She remembered the two weddings, less than two years apart, that had taken place in the field, under the marquee. She remembered dancing with Harry at the last wedding, and then wondered if she and Harry would get married under a marquee like that in the field there. How handsome Harry would look in a tuxedo as she walked toward him in her spectacular wedding dress. She blushed when she thought about that. It would definitely be a while before that moment, of course.

She broke away from her thoughts and realized she was almost at the lake. As she got closer, she saw Ron and Hermione sitting at the end of the dock. Their legs were dangling off the end of the dock. Ron had his arm around Hermione, and Hermione was resting her head on his shoulder. She realized they were watching the dawn sky as the sun started its traditional rise over the horizon. Ginny felt a pang of jealousy, realizing she had never actually watched the sun rise, nor set, with Harry. Maybe she and Harry could watch the sunset before they left for his house. She'd like that.

Ginny was about to walk away from Ron and Hermione and head to the barn, when Hermione looked up at the right time.

"Hey, Ginny!" she called, "Come over and watch the sunrise with us."

Ginny shook her head.

"Come on," Hermione insisted.

Ginny sighed and walked over to the dock. She sat down beside Hermione.

"It's so beautiful, isn't it?" Hermione asked.

"I've seen it before," Ginny said, with a sigh.

"You won't get a view like this up in London," Hermione said, "You can bet on it."

"Watch it, Hermione," Ron said, "You'll make her want to stay."

"Your Mum would be happy with that," Hermione said.

"Yeah," Ginny said, "She talked to me when I came down to the kitchen. You know what she told me? 'It will just be like it used to be when you kids were away at Hogwarts. Except this time --"

"'This time you won't be coming back'," Ron said, in his best imitation of his mother, "She got you with that line too?"

"Yep," Ginny said.

"She definitely has a way with words, Mum does," Ron said.

"Yep," Ginny agreed, laughing.

"Do you know when Harry's coming?" Hermione asked Ginny.

"In about three hours or so," Ginny said, "It's what he said in his note."

"You know," Ron said, "I can think of somebody who will be very happy that you're moving in with Harry."

"Who?" Ginny asked.

"Ares, his owl!" Ron said, "I swear that owl's been making the trip down here every couple of days."

Ginny laughed.

"Yeah, that poor owl has had quite a work-out," she said.

"Whose fault is that?" Ron asked.

"Well, he won't have to worry about that anymore," Ginny said, "Anyway... so how is your Mum and Dad taking this, Hermione?

"Actually they're happier I'm moving closer to them," Hermione said, "When I wrote to them last week that we had an official move-in date to the house, Dad offered to help move stuff into the house. I told them that the movers were going to have all the furniture in the house by the time we got there, and magic would do the rest. I can only guess how he reacted to that."

"I'm sure they just want to see you," Ginny said.

"I'll visit them after we get settled in," Hermione said, "I have to pick up Crookshanks anyway. Poor cat. I've been so busy with work and stuff, I totally forgot about him. Bet he misses me so much."

Ron scoffed.

"What's your problem?" Ginny asked him.

"Oh, nothing," Hermione answered for Ron, "When I told him that I had to get Crookshanks, he went on a rant about Pigwidgeon and how Crookshanks would scare him too much. I told him that was rubbish. Crookshanks is used to Pig by now. "

"Yeah, well," Ron said, "If you don't get any notes from us, Ginny, you'll know why."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Morning, guys!" said a voice behind Ginny, Ron and Hermione.

They turned around. George and Angelina were walking towards the lake. Since they had been helping Ginny out with her training, they had stayed at the Burrow.

"You trying to stay away from Mum?" George asked when they stepped onto the dock.

"Of course not!" Ginny said, quickly.

"Well, if you were, I can't blame you," George said, "Course you know she'll find any way she possibly can to get you back here, you know?"

"Heh, right," Ron said, "Like she got you."

"Hey!" George said, "That was only because I was injured. I could have stayed in Hogsmeade."

"That would have been a sight to see, George," Angelina said, as she and George sat next to Ginny, "You wobbling around on your one good leg trying to get around the shop and flat. You would have hurt yourself more."

George's face went as bright as his hair.

"I can't complain," Ron said, "If it wasn't for that, Hermione and I might not have our new house. Most of the earnings we got helped a lot toward getting that house."

"You're welcome," George said.

"Have you had a chance to return to Diagon Alley since you got back?" Ron asked.

"We went yesterday," George said, "If the builders are right, they'll have the shop restored in a couple of days. Ah, the glory of magic. Tom was quite happy to see us back. He said Diagon Alley seemed a little less cheerful without the store there."

"How are you going to handle both stores?" Hermione asked, "It was quite some work for Ron and I just handling that one."

"Lee Jordan's going to take over the management of the Hogsmeade branch," George said.

"I thought you weren't talking to him," Ginny said.

Ginny remembered that George's old girlfriend, Verity, had cheated on him with Lee Jordan. Of course, if it hadn't been for that, George and Angelina might not be married now. But Ginny couldn't help but wonder how George could forgive Lee for something like that.

"The past is the past, sis," George said, "When Angelina and I were on our honeymoon, Lee and I sent notes back and forth. He said he's not having any luck with the radio deejay business. So I offered him the job in the Hogsmeade branch. He said he'd happily take it. Besides, if it wasn't for Lee, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes might not be as popular as it is now. He came up with some of the original items that made the shop what it is today. So I had to do him a favor."

"Plus, it means George and I won't be apart as often as we would have been," Angelina said, "I'm bloody happy with that, if you ask me. Especially if --"

She cut off and went silent.

"What is it, Angelina?" Hermione asked.

"Should I tell them?" Angelina said to George.

"Go ahead," George said.

"George and I have decided to start a family," Angelina said.

"Wow!" Ginny exclaimed.

"It may seem a little soon," Angelina said, "I mean, we just got back from our honeymoon. But we're okay financially, so we thought 'hey, what the hell? Let's go for it.' Besides, there's nothing better, right?"

"You've been talking to my mother again, haven't you?" George said.

Angelina slapped him on the knee. She then turned and looked at Hermione and Ron.

"So, Hermione," she said, "I can't help but notice that rock on your finger. When are you two going to – you know?"

Ron blushed.

"Oh!" Hermione said, "Ron and I've discussed it. We're not ready just yet. We're both okay with it."

"That's good," Angelina said, "Always good to make sure you're ready. George and I thought were completely ready to get married when the spring came around. Then we decided to wait, and look at us now."

Ginny sighed under her breath, and looked at the sun as it climbed over the trees past the lake. Here her two brothers were, happily with the ones they loved, watching the sun rise, and there she was sitting by herself. She silently urged Harry to get there quicker, and wished that she could hear his voice, as he walked toward her on that dock. She turned around, as if her sudden wish might have made Harry appear right then and there. When he didn't, she stood up.

"I just realized," she said, "that if I wanted one last ride on my broom before training camp, I better do it now."

"Want us to join you?" George asked.

"No!" she said, a little too quickly, "I-I mean, I'm just going to do a little flying. You guys just watch the sun rise."

"Oh, okay," George said, "Well, have fun."

Ginny nodded. As she left the dock, she turned around briefly. Hermione, once again, was resting her head on Ron's shoulder. She laughed at something Ron had said and kissed him on the cheek. Ginny sighed and headed for the barn.

She took her broom from the barn and was soon in the air. She felt free up there. Other than what she felt for Harry, there was no better feeling in the world. It was as if she was made for Quidditch. Thinking back, there was really nothing else she wanted to do with her life. If she hadn't been picked by Gwenog Jones to be a part of the Holyhead Harpies, she was not sure what she would have done. It was hard to think about, and she was relieved she had been chosen. She flew toward the lake, where the trees were much higher and hid her from possibly being sighted by Muggles.

She could see Ron, Hermione, George and Angelina sitting on the dock and talking amongst themselves. George said something that made Angelina laugh, and she pushed him playfully. Suddenly, George lost his balance and fell into the lake with a splash. George resurfaced and Ginny could hear Angelina, Ron and Hermione howl with laughter. George pulled himself back onto the dock, or so Ginny thought. Because, a second later, George pulled Angelina into the lake. Ron and Hermione stood up quickly, and backed away, probably so they wouldn't get pulled in as well. Angelina yelled at George, half-laughter in her voice, as she pulled herself back onto the dock. George pulled himself back up, and said something to Angelina. Ginny thought Angelina would just push him back in, but instead, she pulled George toward her and kissed him.

Ginny rolled her eyes, sighed and turned back in the direction of the barn. She landed and headed back to the Burrow with broom in hand, realizing she needed to bring it along with her. By the time she got there, Ron, Hermione and a very wet George and Angelina were walking up toward the Burrow from the other side.

"Looks like you two had some fun," Ginny said to George and Angelina.

"It was George's fault," Angelina said.

"Hey!" George retorted, "You pushed me in."

"Cause of your loud mouth!" Angelina exclaimed.

"You two better dry up before you go in," Ginny said.

"We left our wands inside," George said.

"I have mine," Hermione said.

She took her wand from her pocket and pointed it at George and Angelina. She muttered an incantation and a gust of hot wind (Ginny could feel it from where she stood) blew on them for a few seconds. They looked very windswept, but were also dry.

"And I thought Ron had a bunch of hot wind!" George said.

"Hey!" Ron said, "Watch it or I'll take you back down to the lake."

George scoffed. Ginny followed the others inside. Her mother had finished cooking breakfast a few minutes later, which they enjoyed thoroughly, even though it was a simple meal.

------------------------------------------  
**(Harry's POV)  
**

Harry slept in until eight-o-clock in the morning, then walked down to the kitchen to get some breakfast. His neighbor had baked him some cinnamon buns the day before and given them to him for an early birthday present. He ate a couple, then headed for the fireplace. He took some of the green powder out of the bag and walked into the fireplace.

"The Burrow!" he said, clearly, as he dropped the Floo Powder.

He felt his feet lift off the ground as he took the familiar journey through the Floo Network toward the Burrow. He tucked in his arms and closed his eyes as he passed fireplaces. A few moments later, his feet landed with a small thud. He walked out of the fireplace, into smoke and soot. He was about to take his wand out, when he heard a very familiar voice cast the cleaning spell. When the smoke and soot vanished, He saw Ginny for a mere second, before she ran over to him and hugged him.

"Let the man breathe, Ginny," Ron said as he and Hermione came into view, "Don't want to suffocate Harry on his birthday."

"You're a bit early, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said, as she came in behind Ron and Hermione, "You look famished. Have you eaten anything."

"A couple of buns," Harry said, nodding.

Mrs. Weasley sighed.

"Well, at least with Ginny moving in, you'll eat better," she said, though Harry noticed a tear in her eye when she said this.

"I'll never be as good at cooking as you are, Mum," Ginny said.

"I think we'll manage," Harry said.

Mrs. Weasley chuckled.

**  
**"We still have a couple of hours until the other guests come, Harry," she said, "There aren't very many, I assure you. I know you don't like too much attention. Merlin knows you've had all the attention you need for a lifetime."

"Cheers to that," Harry said, chuckling.

"Well, I better get back to cooking," Mrs. Weasley said.

She retreated back into the kitchen.

"Want to take a walk, Harry?" Ginny asked.

"Didn't you just take a walk not an hour ago?" Ron asked.

Hermione slapped him on the shoulder. Harry laughed and nodded to Ginny. They walked through the kitchen and headed outside.

"Oh, almost forgot," Ginny said, "Happy birthday."

She kissed him on the cheek, and took his hand as they headed down toward the lake.

"Is that my only present from you?" Harry asked.

"No," Ginny said, "Mum and I met up with Ron and Hermione after work a couple days ago and went shopping in Diagon Alley."

"I was wondering why Ron was acting all funny that day," Harry said, "I said I needed go into Diagon Alley to pick up some owl treats for Ares, and he talked me out of it. Guess I know why."

Ginny grinned.

"So you all packed?" Harry asked her.

"Yep!" Ginny said, "Though I don't want to leave until it gets dark."

"Oh yeah?" Harry asked, "Why?"

"Just one of your birthday surprises," Ginny said, grinning.

"Oh, let me guess!" Harry said, "George has new fireworks to show off? Perhaps some new modifications to his --"

"No," Ginny said, "Well, maybe. I don't know what George has planned. Could be anything knowing him. But that isn't it. And don't you guess. You wouldn't be able to anyway, but I want it to be a surprise."

"Okay, I promise," Harry said.

"Good," she said, and kissed him on the cheek.

"So how is your Mum dealing with you moving?" Harry asked, "I couldn't help but notice a few waterworks back there."

"Oh, you know Mum," Ginny said, "She won't accept I'm gone until I've left. Well, actually it's worse since Ron's moving as well."

"He and Hermione are still moving into the house tomorrow, right?" Harry asked.

"Yep," Ginny said, "I think Hermione said the movers are putting the last of their furniture in today."

Ginny looked up at the sky, and frowned slightly.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked.

"Huh?" Ginny asked, then looked down, "Oh, nothing."

Harry looked up at the sky. Nothing looked to be wrong, except there were a few stray clouds, though those were miles away. Harry shrugged and let it go.

"Have you been training?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," Ginny said, nodding, "Enough to get sick of it. George and Angelina have been helping me."

"So you're ready for camp?" Harry asked.

"Yep," Ginny said.

"When does it start?" Harry asked.

"A week from Monday," Ginny said, "I got a letter from Gwenog earlier this week. We train for a month and a half, then our first match is the first Saturday of October. Apparently we face the Chudley Cannons."

Harry laughed.

"How does Ron feel about that?" he asked.

"I haven't told him," Ginny said, laughing, "I'm afraid he'll beg me for tickets."

"Oh, I can see it now," Harry said, "He'll be rooting for the Chudley Cannons when his little sister is playing for the opposition. He'll get booed out of the stadium."

"Or worse," Ginny said.

Harry laughed, and Ginny held his hand and looked up at him.

"I'm so happy I'm moving in with you," she said.

They stopped near the edge of the lake. Ginny's beautiful eyes were staring right into his. She was on the tips of her toes.

"Happy birthday," she whispered, inches from his face.

Ginny kissed him, and he returned the kiss. It was bliss, and he felt as if there were nobody in the world besides him and Ginny, and he didn't care. Ginny lost her balance, and fell, bringing Harry down to the soft, dewy ground with her. She only laughed, before she leaned back into Harry and knocked him on his back as she kissed him again. His back was getting wet from the dew, but he didn't care. He felt that if anyone had interrupted the moment, he would have cursed them into oblivion. Luckily, no one interrupted them, and Ginny only broke their kiss when they were running low on oxygen. Ginny laid on his chest, resting on her arms. She was still staring into his eyes. Harry felt lost in her gaze. He put a hand to her face and brushed some hair away from her eyes. To him, there was nothing more beautiful in the world.

"I love you, Harry," she said.

"I love you too, Ginny," Harry said.

Ginny smiled and took his hand and kissed it.

"Hey, Harry!" a voice called.

Ginny sighed and looked up.

"What does George want?" Ginny asked, more to herself than to Harry.

"He probably just wants to say hi," Harry said, "He hasn't seen me since he and Angelina came back from their honeymoon."

"Well, he could have waited until we went back to the Burrow," Ginny said annoyed.

She stood up and looked at George.

"He's coming down by himself," Ginny said to Harry, "You think if he came down to say hello, he'd bring Angelina with him, right?"

"Well," Harry said, "I guess so."

"Oi!" Ginny shouted at George, "Can't you see we want our privacy?!"

"I think you'll have enough of that before too long, little sister," George said, as he walked over to them.

"Ron sent you down, didn't he?" Ginny asked, "Yeah, I bet Hermione stopped him from coming, but he got you to come down. I swear to --"

"Whoa, Ginny, relax!" George said, "Don't fret. Ron didn't ask me anything. I came down by my own will."

Ginny scoffed.

"Actually," George said, "I was hoping to talk to Harry."

"Well, go ahead," Ginny said.

"In private, sis?" George said.

"Ugh," Ginny groaned, "Fine. I'll see you back at the Burrow, Harry."

"See ya," Harry said.

Ginny kissed him quickly on the cheek, rolled her eyes at George and started walking back to the Burrow. Harry watched her.

"I hope you know what you're getting yourself into, Harry," George said.

Harry looked at George. He suddenly realized this wasn't going to be a normal conversation. At first, he was surprised. He thought George would be the last person to talk to him about this.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Look, Harry," George said, "I'm only talking to you about this because I don't want someone like Ron or Dad to do it. You think Ron's protective of Ginny? Right. He's no competition when it comes to my father."

Harry looked at him skeptically.

"You don't believe me?" George asked, "When it comes to my father, Ginny will always be his little girl. She's his only daughter, and as so, it's a lot harder than when it comes to me and my brothers."

"Look, George," Harry said, "I can see what you're getting at. But the main reason Ginny's moving in with me is to be closer to her camp."

"Harry, I may have done bloody horrible on my NEWT exams," George said, "But that doesn't mean I'm as thick as a broomstick. Oh, it might be true that you only see this move as that. But Ginny doesn't. You know her as well as I do. She's as feisty as a flame."

Harry didn't know whether to laugh or yell at George.

"I can tell how much Ginny loves you," George said, "And I'm sure you love her just as much. Look, Harry. I'm not going to go the predictable 'protective big-brother' route that I'm sure Ron has gone down. I know you won't hurt my sister. I just don't want to see something happen between the two of you that would ruin your relationship. I speak from experience. I've been down the rocky road of relationships and hit many speed bumps. Of course I got back up. If I didn't, I wouldn't be happily married to Angelina. I just don't want to see you and Ginny get hurt."

"Well, then you don't have to worry, George," Harry said.

George stared at him. Harry noticed, for the first time, that he had the same color of eyes as Ginny. This didn't help much.

"I believe you, Harry," George said.

He grinned and patted Harry on the back.

"I just hope you know what you're getting yourself into," George repeated, though it was in a soft mutter.

Harry rolled his eyes.

"Well," George said, "I think we better get back before we give Ginny enough time to plot her revenge."

Harry laughed and agreed.

------------------------------------------------

**A/N: End of another chapter! When I started this chapter, it was only going to be one part. Then I realized how long the chapter was getting and decided I better put it in two parts.**

Part 2 is next!

Feedback would be great!


	10. Harry's Birthday Part 2

**Chapter 10  
****Harry's Birthday – Part 2**

**Author's Note: One of my faults when it comes to writing Harry Potter fan-fiction is gift giving. I've never been very good at thinking of good gifts. But I will do my best. **

"So what did George want?" Ginny asked Harry, when Harry joined her on the loveseat in the Weasley's living room.

"Well," Harry said, "you're familiar with the 'father-daughter's boyfriend talk', right?"

"Yeah," Ginny said, raising her eyebrow.

"Well, this was sorta like that," Harry said, "Only it wasn't about a wedding, and it was George talking to me instead of your father. Though apparently, as your brother said, it was probably better that he was talking to me instead of your father. Something about your father being worse than Ron when it came to your protection."

"I'm going to kill George," Ginny muttered, leaning forward on the loveseat.

"No you're not," Harry said, pulling Ginny back and putting his arm around her.

"You're lucky it's your birthday, Harry," Ginny said, "Otherwise, I might just have introduced you to my Bat-Bogey Hex."

Harry laughed.

"Course you might see it anyway," Ginny said, "if George interrupts us again."

Ginny leaned in closer to Harry, and put her head on his shoulder.

"Ginny," Harry said.

"Hmm?" Ginny asked, without looking up at him.

"I'm kind of surprised," Harry said.

"About what?" Ginny asked, looking up at him.

"I thought you would, at least, be a little sad," Harry said, "I mean...by the end of the day, you'll be leaving this place forever. Other than visits for parties and stuff, I mean."

"I guess it hasn't hit me yet," Ginny said, shrugging.

"Well, the day I left the Dursley's house forever," Harry said, "I was walking around the place, reminiscing about certain events that had struck my memory."

"But you hated that house," Ginny said.

"Still doesn't mean it didn't affect me," Harry said, "I lived in that house for most of my young life. And... well... you've lived here your whole life, other than when you went to Hogwarts. You love this place. You can't tell me you haven't thought about it."

"Maybe a little," Ginny said, "It will hit me before too long, I expect."

Harry nodded.

"Still doesn't mean I don't want to leave this place," Ginny said.

Harry nodded again.

"Harry?" Ginny said, looking up at him again, "You're being quiet."

"I'm fine," Harry said.

Ginny narrowed her eyes at him.

"No, you're not," she said, "Harry, what did George tell you?

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, "I told you. It was --"

"No," Ginny interrupted, "Tell me what he said."

Harry looked at her, and he heard George's voice from their conversation a little while ago.

_"You know her as well as I do. She's as feisty as a flame."_

"Well," Harry said, "he--he told me that he had known what it was like to go down the road of relationships. And that he had a few problems, but he got over them."

"He thinks we may have problems?" Ginny asked.

"No," Harry said, "He --"

"He thinks we're moving too fast, doesn't he?" Ginny said, sighing.

Harry didn't answer.

"I knew it," Ginny said, "I bloody knew it."

She stood up, and before Harry could take her hand, Ginny moved away from him and headed up the stairs. Harry followed her, hoping she wasn't going to do what he thought she would do.

"Ginny!" Harry whispered.

Harry didn't want Mrs. Weasley to hear them. Who knows what she might say if she knew what they were talking about. But Harry figured he had a pretty good idea about what she might say.

"Ginny!" Harry whispered again, as he climbed the stairs.

Too late. Ginny had reached George's old bedroom. Harry hurried up the stairs, as Ginny pounded her knuckles on the door. The door opened a moment later.

"What?" George asked

"What did you tell Harry?!" Ginny said, almost screaming.

"Shh!" George shushed her, "Get in here before Mum comes up here."

Ginny walked into the room. By this time, Harry had made his way up the stairs. George saw him. He gave Harry a "now you've done it" look and motioned his head toward the room. Harry followed him into the room. George shut the door. Angelina was sitting on the bed.

"Hi, Harry!" she said, "Happy birthday."

"Thanks," Harry said.

"What did you tell Harry, George?" Ginny repeated.

"Wait... one... more second," George said to Ginny, putting up a hand.

He took his wand out of his pocket and pointed it to the walls. He muttered an incantation and Harry heard a creaking sound.

"There," George said, "The walls are sound-proof now."

"I don't want to know where you learned that spell," Ginny said, disgusted, "Or why, for that matter."

"Relax, sis," George said, "Fred and I learned it a few years ago so Mum wouldn't find out we were making our products. I will admit it has several uses though."

George grinned at Angelina. Ginny rolled her eyes, clearly disgusted.

"Now, what do you want?" George asked her.

"What did you tell Harry?" Ginny repeated a third time, "Did you tell him that he was moving too fast with me?"

Harry thought George would have been ready with an answer, but he looked speechless. Though it could have been that George didn't want to say anything that would have made Ginny any madder.

"Look, George," Ginny said, "My relationship with Harry is none of your business. And don't bring up the 'protective big brother' rubbish. I had enough of that with Ron. And if you want to know, it wasn't Harry's request in the first place that I moved in with him. I brought it up, thinking it would have been a better option for me when it came to Quidditch training. Oh, and it wasn't a spur-of-the-moment thing either. We had the discussion at your wedding. So, yeah, we've had quite a while to mull things over in our heads. And if you hadn't noticed, we're as happy now as we were then with our decision."

George looked at his sister, then turned to Harry.

"Harry," he said, "If you would have told me all of that, we wouldn't be in this position, would we?"

Harry shrugged. George looked back at Ginny.

"Ginny," he said, "It takes a big wizard to admit when he's wrong. And it seems that I was wrong about the two of you. I did think you were moving too fast in this relationship. I thought that perhaps Harry had asked you to move in with him, and you were so excited, that you accepted his request without thinking about it. But it seems you have thought a lot about it. Now, will you forgive me?"

Ginny stared at him and pondered her answer.

"I forgive you," she finally said.

"Good," George said, "Now, get out of here. The both of you."

Ginny was only too happy to leave. Harry followed her out and they walked down the stairs.

"Well, that turned out better than I thought it would," Harry said.

"Oh?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah," Harry said, "I thought I was going to have to shield George from one of your hexes."

Ginny laughed.

"I don't think it would have mattered," she said, "George knows the Bat-Bogey Hex too well. He could have dodged it. Though I don't think he would have, especially with Angelina in the room."

"You know," Harry said, "I think I should ask George how to do that sound-proof spell."

"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed.

"What?" Harry asked, "It sounds bloody useful if you ask me. Why, I bet George is testing it out right now."

"Harry," Ginny said, turning around, "Shut up or I'm going to hex you, even if it is your birthday."

Harry laughed and followed Ginny down to the bottom floor. As he followed her, he privately agreed with George. Ginny was definitely as feisty as a fire.

----------------------------------

It was noon before most of the guests that Mrs. Weasley invited had arrived. Andromeda and Teddy were the first to arrive. Teddy, it turned out, had learned to walk. He was walking hand-in-hand with Andromeda, though Harry could tell that he was stumbling a bit.

"Just like his mother, he is," Andromeda said, "Nymphadora couldn't walk two steps without tripping over something. I had hoped Teddy hadn't inherited that little problem. He's also learning how to talk, but we haven't been very successful."

Teddy then said something that sounded like "hurry".

"Did you hear that?!" Andromeda exclaimed, "He said your name. Well, either that or he wants me to hurry inside. Can't tell."

Harry chuckled, and Andromeda brought Teddy into the Burrow. As they walked through the door, Harry noticed that his hair had changed from green to Weasley red. If he didn't know better, he would have thought Teddy was another Weasley relative.

Next to arrive was Bill, Fleur and little Victoire. Victoire was asleep in her baby seat as Bill brought it into the house, waving at Harry as he passed him. A couple minutes later, Harry heard a large crack and saw Hagrid walking down the driveway.

"'Arry!" Hagrid said, loudly, "'Appy Birthday!"

"Hi, Hagrid," Harry said, "Thanks. I was wondering if you were coming."

"Like I could miss your birthday," Hagrid said.

"How's Grawp?" Harry asked.

"Great as far as I know," Hagrid said, "I've only visited him a couple o' times. Just ter make sure he didn't get loose an' scare anyone in Hogsmeade."

Harry grinned as Hagrid walked to the Burrow and ducked under the door-frame as he walked in. Harry thought Hagrid was the last guest. But a few minutes later, Harry noticed two more people turning into the driveway. He recognized one of them: Luna Lovegood. She was wearing a bright yellow dress, and was hand-in-hand with young man. It seemed that Luna had finally found love.

Luna and the young man walked up to Harry. Harry could tell at first glance that the man was probably a couple years older than him.

"Hi, Harry!" she said, happily, "Harry, this Rolf Scamander. His grandfather is the famous author, Newt Scamander. Rolf, this is --"

"I know who you are," Rolf said, extending his hand, "The famous Harry Potter. Luna has told me all about you."

"Nice to meet you," Harry said, shaking his hand.

Luna and Rolf walked inside and Harry followed them. Rolf went around to meet the others, and Luna joined Harry on the couch.

"So how did you and Rolf meet?" Harry asked.

"My father interviewed his grandfather for the Quibbler once," Luna said, "And Newt had brought Rolf with him. We became friends, and wrote back and forth for a while. Then one day a couple weeks ago when Rolf had visited, he asked me on a date. We've been together ever since."

Luna grinned and blushed.

"That's great, Luna!" Harry said.

"Hi, Luna!" Ginny's voice rang out as she entered the living room.

Ginny walked over and sat on the other side of Harry.

"Rolf is pretty nice," Ginny said to Luna.

"Yes, he's quite wonderful," Luna said.

"So how is your father doing?" Harry asked.

"Oh, he is good," Luna said, "He wanted to come to your party, but he told me to apologize on his behalf. He is very busy with the Quibbbler these days. Did you know that Rita Skeeter's Animagus might actually be a cousin of the Wrackspurt? Yeah! Daddy's trying to get an interview from Rita Skeeter. He remembered when she interviewed you about your story of what happened in that graveyard, Harry. It's one of the best selling editions of all time. He hopes that this time, she'll be the subject of a story for the Quibbler."

"But Rita's in Azkaban, Luna," Ginny said, "How is your father going to interview her?"

"Oh, yes," Luna said, "Well, Daddy knows his way around Azkaban, and some of the Aurors who guard the place are big fans of his. Did you know some of them believe that the Dementors should go back to work in Azkaban? Yeah, Daddy's trying to get that story too. He hopes he can get some of the Dementors back to work and actually let them be paid for their work."

"Luna, love," Rolf said, entering the room, "Are you telling those stories again?"

"Oh, hush," Luna said, then whispered to Harry, "Rolf doesn't believe some of the stories Daddy writes about. But he will."

"Luna's trying to get me to work at the Quibbler," Rolf said, as he sat next to Luna, "Did she tell you she's going to be one of the journalists there?"

"You failed to mention that, Luna!" Ginny said.

"Oh, it's nothing," Luna said, blushing, "I always knew Daddy was going to give me a job. So it's not that surprising."

"Well, I tell you what," Ginny said, "If your father ever wants to write about the Quidditch league, I'll be happy to be interviewed."

"You're a Quidditch player, Ginny?" Rolf asked, "In the Professional league? Which team?"

"Holyhead Harpies," Ginny said, "I start training a week from Monday."

Hermione and Ron walked into the living room.

"There you are," Hermione said to Rolf, "I was hoping you'd tell me more about your grandfather. I love his books."

"I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to tell too much," Rolf said, "I don't know him very well. Before last summer, I hadn't seen him since I was a little kid. He's very busy, my grandfather is."

"What's he doing now?" Hermione asked, "Any new books?"

"I'm not sure," Rolf said.

"Oh, Rolf," Luna said, "You shouldn't be embarassed."

Luna turned to Hermione.

"Rolf's grandfather and my father are co-writing a new book," she said, "After my father interviewed Rolf's father, my father and him got to talking about writing a book together. My father's always wanted to write a book, and who better to assist him than Newt Scamander? The book will be about all the creatures that my father and I search for. Crumple-Horned Snorcacks, Wrackspurts, you know, stuff like that."

"And I'm not embarassed by my grandfather, Luna," Rolf said, "If I hadn't visited him last summer, I would have never met you."

Luna smiled.

"Oh, before I forget, Harry," Rolf said.

He reached into his left inside coat pocket and pulled out a book.

"I wrote to my grandfather and told him I might be meeting you sometime," he said, "My grandfather sent this back with him, and told me to give it to you."

Rolf handed the book to Harry. It looked to be a very old copy of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them". He opened it. A short note was written on the inside cover. It read:

_To Harry Potter, the Hero of the Second War,_

_Thanks for all you did for the wizarding world. You are more of a legend than I could ever be. I hope to meet you one day, and perhaps sit down for a discussion with you. I'm sure we can trade some pretty interesting stories!_

Salutations,

_Newt Scamander_

Harry grinned and looked up at Rolf.

"Be sure to thank him for me," he said, "It's great."

"It's one of the very first editions of the book," Rolf said, "A rare treasure, that is."

"I will keep it safe," Harry said.

"Sorry to interrupt your conversation," Mrs. Weasley said from the doorway between the living room and the kitchen, "But if you guys want to eat, I will need some help setting up the tables and stuff outside."

At that, everyone, including the guests, helped set up the tables, dishes and silverware outside.

------------------------------------------------

Fifteen minutes later, everything was ready. Mr. Weasley, who had been at work all day, arrived just in time for dinner, apologizing that he couldn't make it sooner.

"My office was next in line for Kingsley's investigations," he said, when he sat down at the end of the table, "Well, of course, Kingsley knows about my background, but he was questioning many of my colleagues. A couple of them were pulled out of the office around noon, and I didn't see them by the time I left. Of course, most of the witches and wizards under investigation are those who had just joined the Ministry after the fall of Voldemort, and those who joined after the last invasion. The rumor is, around the Ministry..."

He looked at Harry, Ron and Hermione when he said the next bit.

"And I wouldn't be surprised if it hadn't gotten around to you," he said, "but it seems that the new Ministry workers were poorly interviewed because, if you remember, a few of the Ministry workers had left for good fearing another invasion. Well, since then, they were trying to get their numbers back. Now it seems Kingsley is trying to make up for it with these investigations."

"How many people have been sacked so far?" Bill asked.

"Oh, I think Kingsley mentioned somewhere near a dozen," Mr. Weasley said.

"And everyone of those had some connection to Death Eaters?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Actually, very few," Mr. Weasley said, "Most of them, if they had any connection to Death Eaters, it was a long distant relative or a next-door neighbor. It was also suspected that some those who had been let go may have had some random conversations with a known Death Eater at some point and didn't know who they were."

"Well that is no reason to sack anybody!" Harry exclaimed.

"Like I said," Mr. Weasley said,, "Kingsley's just trying to make up for past mistakes."

"Will any of these people be sent in front of the Wizengamot," Hermione asked.

"I know what you're thinking, Hermione," Mr. Weasley said, "While it is true that Head Judge Morrison might be able to prove the innocence of many of these workers, it seems that Kingsley is being very final about the whole thing. I also believe that they don't want any of this being put into the Daily Prophet. Kingsley believes there would be mass-panic if that happened."

The table went silent for a couple of minutes. It seemed everyone was thinking about this.

"What's the chance that someone in the Ministry could be associated with Death Eaters?" Rolf asked.

"There's already been at least one person," Harry said to him, "He used to be in Auror training with me and Ron. I thought Kingsley was wrong about him, but his father was one of Azkaban escapees helping the Death Eaters in the final battle of the Second War. His father was killed in that battle, and Kingsley feared that the guy would want his revenge."

"That's what the whole investigation is about," Mr. Weasley said, "Making sure that doesn't happen. The wizarding world doesn't need something like this to happen just months after our victory."

"Cheers to that," Bill said, lifting his cup.

"Cheers" everyone around the table said, lifting their glasses as well.

After lunch, which ended with the cake Mrs. Weasley baked, it was time to hand out presents. Mrs. Weasley summoned them from her bedroom, and they came floating out of the window and onto the table. Harry opened them.

Ginny's was first. She gave him a heart-shaped locket that reminded Harry eerily of the Slytherin locket. Instead of an S, there was a H and G on it. Inside was a moving picture of Ginny. Ron and Hermione gave him a moving picture of them posing together. They were waving up at him.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley gave him their traditional birthday sweater (green with H emblazoned on the front) and a assortment of homemade pies and other goodies. George and Angelina gave Harry a coupon to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, as well as a dragon-hide jacket. Andromeda gave him a picture of Teddy riding on the broom that Harry had gotten Teddy for Christmas. Luna's present was a coupon for a lifetime subscription to the Quibbler.

Bill and Fleur's present surprised Harry. Bill had finally caught up with the goblin Griphook and somehow had recovered the Sword of Gryffindor. When Harry asked how Bill got it, Bill said that Griphook had realized what the Sword of Gryffindor meant to Harry and would only give it to Bill if it went straight to Harry. Harry mentally promised that he would thank Griphook if he ever met him again.

---------------------------------------------

According to Ginny, Harry would have to wait for his final birthday surprise. It would come a few hours later. Harry wondered, once again, if it was fireworks from George, but Ginny wouldn't have been that excited about it. It had to be something that Ginny had planned.

After everything was cleaned up, Harry, Ginny, Ron, George, Angelina and Bill entertained everyone with a game of Quidditch. It was Harry, Ginny and Ron versus George, Angelina and Bill. There would be no Snitch nor Bludgers for the game, so Harry and Bill each played as Chasers, and George played as Keeper. It would be first to two-hundred. Luna was the announcer for the game, and she entertained everyone as much as the Quidditch players, with her comments. Rolf, who turned out to be a big fan of Quidditch, but wasn't the type to play it, was the referee.

Ginny and Angelina were nicely matched against each other, and Bill turned out to be a good Chaser, so Harry had some competition, since he had very little, if any, experience as a Chaser. But Ginny proved to be as good as two Chasers. The barn was used for Ron's goal, and Mr. Weasley had conjured golden rings that looked sort of like halos, so that there could be two scoring sides. George was all over the place as Ginny and Harry scored back and forth. Ginny and Harry even tricked George with a couple of twenty-point plays, including the final game-winning score. In the end, Harry, Ron and Ginny won 200-130.

The game lasted almost two hours, and by then the sun was close to the horizon. As everyone else went back inside for refreshments, Ginny invited Harry for a ride on her broom. Since Harry was bigger than Ginny, he got in back, while Ginny got in front. When Ginny told him that she wanted them to fly together, Harry had a pretty good idea of her surprise, but didn't say anything. Ginny flew the broom high above the Burrow, but low enough so they wouldn't be seen by Muggles' wandering eyes.

Soon enough, they were facing the direction of the sun as it began its descent over the horizon.

"So is this what you were planning?" Harry asked, grinning.

"Well," Ginny said, "Hermione had mentioned that you can't get anything as good as this up in London, what with all the congestion. And I wanted to watch the sunset with you before we went to your place."

Harry smiled and noticed that Ginny suddenly went silent.

"Something wrong?" Harry asked.

"Heh," Ginny said, "It finally hit me."

"What?" Harry asked.

"That I'm leaving my home for good," Ginny said.

Ginny looked down, and Harry knew she was looking at the Burrow.

"Do you remember when you first came to the Burrow?" Ginny said, "Right before I first went to Hogwarts?"

"Kind of," Harry said.

"I remember being so excited that you would be visiting us," Ginny said, "And that I didn't exactly know why I was so excited. I mean, at that time, I had a school-girl crush on you. But I thought it was just silly."

"I do remember," Harry said, laughing, "Ron said you wouldn't shut up about me all that summer."

"It's true," Ginny said, giggling, "Fred and George started getting so annoyed at me as well. Threatened to hex my lips together. I think it was around then that I started learning the Bat-Bogey Hex. Just something to get back at them if they ever tried to hex me. Didn't help much. It took me almost four years to perfect it."

Ginny turned her head and looked at Harry.

"Did I ever tell you," she said, "when I knew I was truly in love with you? It may seem silly, though."

"You might have," Harry said, "I don't remember."

"It was when you saved me in the Chamber of Secrets," Ginny said, "I know I was so young then, and at the time, I thought it was still a silly school-girl crush, but looking back, I do realize that I was truly in love with you."

"It's not that silly," Harry said, "What's silly is how long it took for me to realize it. If you asked me, I couldn't tell you why."

"You had other things on your mind, Harry," Ginny said, "With all the Voldemort stuff."

"You never gave up on me, though," Harry said.

"Nope," she said, chuckling, "Even when Hermione told me to. Even when I saw you with Cho, and when I started going out with other boys. I never gave up on you. Because I knew you'd realize what I had known for a while."

Ginny turned back around, and Harry looked at the sun. Its rays were gone, and now Harry could see it without having to turn away from it after a few moments. It was that red-orange color that brought a glow of the same color miles across the sky, as if it was waving goodbye to everyone for the day. It looked so radiant, so beautiful. You'd have to go miles above London to get a view like this.

"Happy birthday, Harry," Ginny said, grinning and leaning back on Harry as she said it.

Harry only grinned. He was practically speechless from the view.

"I love you," Ginny said.

"I love you, too," Harry said.

Ginny leaned her head upwards and kissed Harry on the lips. Harry kissed her back and deepened the kiss. As the sun went beneath the horizon, they were still embraced in their deep, loving, passionate kiss.

-----------------------------------

**A/N: I know it sounds selfish to have favoritism to my own work, but this is probably one of my favorite endings to a chapter in a while. It was just perfect, and I'm glad to have thought about it.**

So, I hope you liked Rolf. I'm trying to work out some of the secondary character's relationships throughout the story. While they probably won't have much to do with the story, or their own PoV for a chapter, it still adds to it. Hope I was right about Rolf's character. Almost called him Rolph, though. Had to do a double-check. Oh, and I wasn't sure if Rolf was Newt's grandson or great-grandson, and I don't know if Newt is even alive in canon, but I did it that way, just to add a little to the story.

**More to come! Feedback would be great!**


	11. Moving Day

**Chapter 11  
****Moving Day**

**(Harry's POV)**

It turned out that George did have a fireworks show planned. When it got dark, George fired off a box of his special fireworks, some of which were being debuted at the party and hadn't been brought to the store shelves yet. After the fireworks show, most of the guests, except for Bill, Fleur and Victoire (who only stayed because Mrs. Weasley told them their drive would take all night and Victoire needed a good night's rest), left the Burrow.

Harry decided to stay for a little while longer, while Ginny said her final farewells to the Burrow. Meanwhile, Harry and Mr. Weasley magically transported Ginny's things and Harry's presents to Harry's house. Harry suspected that Mr. Weasley had something to say to him, and he was right. When the last of Harry's gifts disappeared from view, Mr. Weasley kept Harry behind.

"I can't tell you how much this ol' Burrow is going to miss Ginny," Mr. Weasley said to Harry, as they both watched Ginny hug her mother, who had tears streaking down her cheeks.

"I think I know," Harry said.

Mr. Weasley looked at Harry questioningly.

"Oh," Harry said, "Ginny and I talked about it when... after the Quidditch game, I mean."

Mr. Weasley just chuckled.

"To be honest, Harry," he said, "Molly and I hadn't expected this to come too soon. I can't tell you how long it has been since it has only been me and Molly in this house. Now, after tomorrow, once Ron leaves with Hermione, it's just going to be me and her once again."

"We'll visit whenever possible," Harry said, "You know that. And you are always welcome to visit us."

"Oh, I know," Mr. Weasley said, "Ginny and Ron tell Molly and I that all the time. But it won't be the same, you know."

Mr. Weasley went quiet and Harry knew he was looking back at the memories as if they were a photo book sitting in front of him. Mr. Weasley shook out of his thoughts and looked at Harry.

"Did any of us ever tell you," he said, " that the Burrow used to only have one or two bedrooms... oh... many years ago?"

"No," Harry said.

"Yeah," Mr. Weasley said, "Then we started building onto it as the children came along. You've probably asked yourself over the years if this place was held up by magic. I think the only answer to that would be... yes. If there was no magic in this house, it'd probably topple right on top of us."

He chuckled. Ginny walked in, followed by Mrs. Weasley, Ron and Hermione. Bill and Fleur were putting Victoire to sleep in one of the old cribs Mrs. Weasley kept around whenever Bill and Fleur visited. Harry noticed that Mrs. Weasley was wiping tears away from her eyes with a handkerchief.

"Harry and I were just reminiscing," Mr. Weasley said, smiling, "You ready to go, Ginny?"

"Yeah," Ginny said, "I think I am."

"Everything is at your new house," Mr. Weasley said, though Harry noticed a bit of longing in his voice.

Ginny smiled and hugged her father. Mr. Weasley looked at her.

"My little girl's all grown up," he said, chuckling.

"Oh, Dad," Ginny said, blushing.

Harry hugged Mrs. Weasley.

"Oh, I'll be fine, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said, "You just take care of our little girl, huh?"

"Of course, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said.

Mrs. Weasley smiled, as Harry and Ginny walked over to the fireplace. Mrs. Weasley held the box open as Harry took a handful.

"The 'go word' for the Floo Network is 'home'," Harry said, "I took the liberty of adding your name to the list just yesterday, Ginny."

Harry turned to Ron and Hermione.

"If you need help tomorrow," Harry said, "you can always ask."

"I think we'll manage, mate," Ron said.

Harry nodded and walked into the fireplace.

"Home!" he yelled clearly.

He felt his feet lift off the ground and closed his eyes as he spun around. A few moments later, he was back safely in his house. He walked out of the soot and ash. All of Ginny's things, and his gifts were a few feet away. A few moments later, he heard Ginny's feet slap against the ground and she walked out of the fireplace. She took one glance around, then looked at Harry.

"I think I saw a tear in Mum's eye when I said 'home'," she said.

"Well, you can't blame her," Harry said.

"Nope," Ginny said.

Harry helped Ginny take her things up to her new bedroom. A bed was already there, near the window. The moonlight struck the bed in an odd, haunting way, though it also seemed to welcome Ginny to it. Ginny walked over to it and looked out it into the city.

"Such a different view than my old bedroom," Ginny said, "Have to get used to waking up and seeing other houses instead of the lake."

"I think you'll get used to it quicker than you think," Harry said.

"Yeah," Ginny said.

"Well, I'll let you unpack," Harry said.

"Seems like I just packed up," Ginny said, looking at the boxes.

Harry grinned. As he walked out the door, Ginny was placing her broom in the closet. He heard her whisper to herself, and swore she said "Hopefully this will all just be temporary." Harry smiled to himself and walked back downstairs to grab his presents.

----------------------------------------------------

**(Hermione's POV)**

Early the next morning, Hermione was sitting at the small desk in Ginny's old bedroom. Bill, Fleur and Victoire were still asleep in their bedroom. Hermione's things were all packed up. The trunk was at the end of Ginny's old bed. Everything else Hermione needed, she would have to get from her house (she hadn't gotten used to calling it her old house yet) when she went to visit her parents. She had just finished a letter to them and was reading it over:

_Dear Mum and Dad,_

_Well, today is moving day! By noon, Ron and I should be in our new house in London. It is kind of weird to think about it, but I am fine. I am over the anxious, nervous part. _

_Tomorrow, I'll come over and visit and get the rest of my stuff, as well as Crookshanks. I'm sure he misses me loads! Anyway, I'll be coming by Floo Network. You remember what that means, right? I'll be arriving by the fireplace, so don't get shocked when I arrive. I won't need any help moving anything, since I can just transport everything magically. I'm sure you want to see my new house, so you guys can drive me back since I don't really want to take Crookshanks to the house by magic. _

_See you then!_

Love,

_Hermione_

As soon as she finished reading, she heard a tapping sound on the door. It was, of course, Ron.

"Come in!" Hermione said.

The door opened and Ron walked in.

"Good morning," he said, "What are you doing?"

"Writing Mum and Dad a letter," Hermione said, "Can I use Pigwidgeon?"

"Can't you use Frederique?" Ron asked, "Pig is nervous enough with all this moving stuff."

"Pig will know where our new place is," Hermione said, "He can just deliver this, then fly to the house."

"Fine," Ron sighed.

Hermione grinned and rolled the piece of parchment. She stood up and walked out of the room and, with Ron, headed for Ron's room. His room looked much different when most of the stuff in it was packed up. The Chudley Cannons posters had all been taken down, and in the closet there were only a few hangers left. Hermione walked over to Pig's cage and let him out. Ron caught Pig out of the air before he could go anywhere. Hermione attached the parchment to his leg.

"Take this to Hermione's parents," Ron instructed him, "Then go to our new house. It is --"

"Ron, you don't have to tell him the address," Hermione said, sighing, "He'll know where it is."

"Fine," Ron said again.

He opened the window and Pig flew out of it. Hermione looked at Ron.

"Have you said your goodbyes to the house yet?" she said to him.

"Yeah," Ron said, "But there will be more to come, I expect."

Ron sighed and sat down on his bed. He looked around the almost-empty room.

"So many memories in this house," he said, "In this room alone."

"Want to know my favorite memory in this room?" Hermione asked, sitting beside him.

Ron looked at her. Hermione knew he was trying to think of something that would qualify for it.

"It was one of the last times Harry, you and I were in here together," Hermione said, "before we went to search for the Horcruxes. I kept crying over stuff, and you comforted me."

"Then Mum came in," Ron said, "and told us off for not helping with preparations for Bill and Fleur's wedding. She didn't want us to leave, remember. She didn't say that herself, but I just knew."

"She isn't trying to stop you from moving, though," Hermione said.

"Nah," Ron said, shaking his head, "She knows it is inevitable. The house is paid for and all of the furniture is inside. Plus, when Dad senses that she is going to talk about it, he tells Mum that they can't stop us from leaving. I heard them last night, you know?"

"Oh?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Ron said, "I was packing up the rest of my things shortly after Harry and Ginny left, and I heard Mum at the bottom of the stairs leading up to here. I expect she was coming up to talk to me, maybe a last-minute discussion. Anyway, I heard Dad say something, and then Mum walked back downstairs."

"What did your father say?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know," Ron said, shrugging, "Probably reminding her that she can't keep me here for the rest of my life. It's one of his favorite lines when something like this happens."

Ron grinned and looked at the door, as if expecting his mother to come in once again.

"You know," he said, "I think Dad is actually taking this worse than Mum."

"I doubt it," Hermione said.

"No, really," Ron said, "I expect that when he tells Mum to cool it, he is actually telling it to himself. Or at least reminding himself that he can't stop me either. You would think that they would be happy about this. They haven't had the house to themselves in a long time, except when we were at Hogwarts."

"They're just used to having kids around," Hermione said, "You want to know what Dad said the night he and Mum came back from Australia?"

"Sure," Ron said.

"He said," Hermione said, "That even though my spell had made them forget about their life and stuff, that somewhere in the back of their minds, they knew they had a daughter. He said there were nights where he woke up in Australia and thought he heard me."

"What does that have to do with my parents?" Ron asked.

"Nothing, I guess," Hermione said, "It just means that not even magic can make a person forget about their children. Basically what I'm saying is your Mum and Dad are always going to be thinking about you, Ginny and your brothers. You can't stop them."

"I wouldn't want to," Ron said, "I just don't want to hear them griping about whether I am going to move or not. It's my choice in the end, isn't it?"

"I bet both your parents are happy with your decision," Hermione said, "I'm not saying they're happy to see you go, cause you know they're not."

"I know what you're saying," Ron said.

"Well," Hermione said, "you only have to endure their griping for a couple more hours. We're still leaving around noon, right?"

"If not sooner," Ron said.

"No," Hermione said, "Noon is good for me."

"What's wrong with leaving sooner?" Ron asked, "You're worried Muggles are going to notice, aren't you?"

"Well, I'm sure there will be a few people peeking out their windows," Hermione said, "Just to see the new neighbors. Remember, Ron, you're not living out in the country anymore. It's the city. The neighbors might be a little nosy."

"Yeah, yeah," Ron said, "No magic outside in plain view."

"It also means," Hermione said, "that if we ever have to take the Knight Bus, we'll have to walk down to the end of the block."

"Why?" Ron asked, "Muggles can't see the Knight Bus."

Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Did you forget what I told you the day we first went to see the house?" she asked him.

"Sort of," Ron muttered.

"Even though Muggles can't see the Knight Bus," Hermione said, "They can still see us, and they'll notice us disappear out of thin air."

"Well, we probably won't have to take the Knight Bus, anyway," Ron said, "I hate that thing, and Merlin knows I'll do everything to keep away from it."

Hermione rolled her eyes again, but giggled anyway.

---------------------------------------

**(Ginny's PoV)**

Ginny woke up that morning and before she opened her eyes or sat up, she could smell breakfast cooking in the kitchen. Instantly, she thought about her Mum's cooking. She wiped the sleep out of her eyes, and looked around the bedroom, remembering where she was. She wasn't in the Burrow anymore. She was in Harry's house in London. She put on her slippers and walked down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Harry was standing at the stove. A frying pan was on one of the back burners.

"What smells so good?" Ginny asked.

Harry turned and smiled.

"Good morning, sunshine," he said, grinning.

Ginny was still looking at the stove.

"Oh, yes," Harry said, "Bacon and eggs."

"I wasn't aware you could cook," Ginny said.

"Growing up at the Dursleys," Harry said, "I cooked breakfast almost every morning. Bacon and eggs was my specialty."

"You never said anything about that!" Ginny said.

Harry shrugged, and turned back to the stove.

"Never came up, I guess," he said.

"Well you could have fooled me," Ginny said, "And my Mum too. Do you know what she told me before we left?"

Harry shook his head.

"She said that I'd probably be doing all the cooking," Ginny said, "And she joked that I'd grow up to be just like her because of it."

"Well, I could let you do the cooking," Harry said, motioning to the frying pan.

"Looks like you're doing good on your own," Ginny said.

"Well, I must be," Harry said, "Haven't died from food poisoning yet."

Ginny chuckled.

"Did you sleep well?" Harry asked.

"Better than I thought I would," Ginny said, "I thought I'd get woken up by some Muggle's car horn. Dad was the one to warn me about that."

"That's city life for ya," Harry said.

"Is Ares around?" Ginny asked, remembering something she had thought about the night before.

"Asleep in his cage in the living room," Harry asked, "Why?"

"I need to write to Gwenog Jones," Ginny said, "I realized last night that even though I can apparate or use the Floo Network to get to the Quidditch camp, I need to figure out how I am getting there next Monday. Doesn't help to apparate or Floo if I don't know where it is."

"Well, if you want to write the letter now, you can," Harry said, "Breakfast won't be ready for another fifteen minutes or so."

"You don't cook with magic?" Ginny asked, "It's much quicker."

"Never tried it," Harry said, shrugging, "I always cook the normal – the Muggle way, I mean."

"Maybe I can teach you one day," Ginny said.

"You're just happy to know that you won't have to do all the cooking," Harry said, chuckling.

Ginny laughed as she walked out of the kitchen and back to her room. Before she had arrived, Harry had set up Ginny's bedroom for her. Near the bed was a desk and chair, so Ginny could write letters on it. Ginny had put her trunk near the closet. She went over to it and opened it up. The only thing inside it now was a stack of parchment, some quills and ink. She took them all out and set it on the desk. She then sat down, and started to write:

_Dear Gwenog Jones,_

_We haven't had a chance to talk since the day you asked me to be a part of the Harpies. I'm pretty excited to start training camp, and ever since I got invited to the Harpies, I've been training like mad. Just yesterday, I moved up to London with my boyfriend, so I am pretty close to the training camp. The only problem I have is figuring out how to get to the camp. I was wondering if there was some kind of building I could Floo into. I can apparate as well, but as you can probably guess, I can't apparate if I don't know where the place is, or if I've never been there. If there isn't a place connected to the Floo Network, I'll find another way._

See you then!  
Ginny Weasley

Ginny read over her letter. At first, she wondered if using "Dear" at the start was a bit too much for someone she barely knew. She decided it would be okay, and Gwenog probably wouldn't mind. She rolled up the letter and stood up. Near the desk was a poster of the the Holyhead Harpies prior to the player's strike. Ginny wondered how many of the players had stayed on the team and how many had left cause of the strike. Of course, Ginny knew that she might not have this position on the team if there hadn't been a strike. Ginny watched as the poster-figure of Gwenog score ten points against the opposing team, and grinned, realizing she could be on a poster like that by this time next year. She walked out of the bedroom and back downstairs.

------------------------------------------------------------

**(Hermione's PoV)**

Fifteen minutes to noon, Hermione and Ron were standing near the fireplace at the Burrow. Their belongings had already been magically transported to the new house in London. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were also with them. Mrs. Weasley looked as if she was trying her best not to cry, though Hermione knew she'd be in tears before long.

"Mum," Ron said, "You know you can visit us anytime you want to. You'll really like the house."

"I know that, Ron," Mrs. Weasley said, walking over to Ron and hugging him.

"And we'll be sure to come and visit when we can," Hermione said.

"Of course," Mrs. Weasley said, now walking over and hugging Hermione, "And we have that wedding of yours to look forward to, as well."

Hermione and Ron blushed.

"Mum!" Ron said, "I told you before. That is still months away. Hermione and I haven't even talked about it yet."

"Oh, I know, honey," Mrs. Weasley said, "I was just saying..."

Hermione saw tears pooling in Mrs. Weasley's eyes. She chuckled softly, and wiped her eyes.

"You have everything packed up, right?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Yes, Mum," Ron said, "It's already sent."

"Well, if there is anything you forget," Mrs. Weasley said, "You can always come back and get it."

"Of course," Ron said.

"Now, Molly," Mr. Weasley said, before his wife could say anything else, "I think Ron and Hermione have everything set. They still have to unpack everything too when they get there."

"Oh, yes, right," Mrs. Weasley said, "Well --"

Tears went down Mrs. Weasley's cheeks as she hugged Ron and Hermione once more.

"You kids grow up so quickly," she said.

Hermione smiled and walked over to Mr. Weasley, who had the Floo Powder ready.

"Thanks for everything, Mr. Weasley," she said, "For letting me stay here."

"Well," Mr. Weasley said, "If I may say, you're just as much a part of this family as I am."

Hermione felt tears in her own eyes, and she blinked them away quickly, taking the Floo Powder.

"Remember the 'go word'?" Ron asked her.

"Home," Hermione said.

"Yeah," Ron said.

Hermione smiled sweetly at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, then walked into the fireplace.

"Home!" she said, clearly, dropping the green powder.

She always hated the Floo Network. She closed her eyes, and tightened her body close as spun around through the pathway and by fireplaces. A minute later, her feet landed on solid ground, and she walked out of the fireplace, amid a bunch of soot and ash. She cleared away the debris with a quick spell. The soot and ash disappeared, and walked away from the fireplace. A minute later, the soot and ash returned as Ron arrived. Hermione sighed and cleaned up the debris once again with a quick spell.

"I thought we'd never get out of there," Ron said, "I swear it was like I was fighting just to escape Mum's hugs."

Hermione chuckled. For the first time since she had arrived, she took a look around. As Mr. Wycott had promised, all of the furniture was in the house. Every piece of the living room furniture, from the couch, to the love seat, to the rocking chair, was made of oak. Even the wood on the television was in oak.

"Wow," Ron said, "We have a television."

"Yeah," Hermione said, "Everything is so lovely. We'll have to remember to thank Mr. Wycott when we talk to him."

Ron nodded.

"Okay," Ron said, looking at the boxes on the floor, "First things first. What will the sleeping arrangements be?"

"Er..." Hermione said.

She hadn't had a chance to think about the sleeping arrangements. She realized that wasn't the only thing. She was so busy with work that she hadn't had any plans for the house.

"I can sleep on the couch," Ron said, motioning to it, "It looks great."

"Oh, Ron, I couldn't ask that," Hermione said, "You're the reason we have this house."

Ron grinned.

"So what do we do?" he asked.

Hermione thought about it. After a moment, she answered.

"Why don't we just," she said, slowly, "share the bed?"

"You mean switch every other night?" Ron asked.

"No," Hermione said, "I mean --"

"Oh," Ron said, "Well... okay."

"Are you okay with that?" Hermione asked.

"I am if you are," Ron said, then after a moment, "Are you?"

"Well, think about it," Hermione said, "We're living in the same house, and--"

"Hermione," Ron said, "You know you don't have to answer everything like it's an essay question. It's just a simple yes or no. And it doesn't matter to me what your answer is."

Hermione smiled.

"Yes, Ron," she said, "I think I am."

"All right," Ron said.

Hermione wasn't sure what Ron was thinking at the moment, but he picked up a box of their things and took it toward the bedroom. Hermione followed him. The bed, like the furniture in the living room, was oak. It was a queen-size, definitely big enough for both of them. It was below the window, and the oak on the headboard sparkled in the sunlight.

"Cozy," Ron said, grinning at Hermione.

Hermione rolled her eyes and started to unpack. Over the next few hours, they unpacked and put everything in the house to their liking. By the time they were done, Hermione knew that they had definitely made a right choice about the house, even if it was only temporary. When they were finished, Hermione and Ron sat on the loveseat near the fireplace. Just as they were getting comfortable, there was a pecking sound on the window behind them. They turned around. Pigwidgeon was on the windowsill. He was holding a letter in his beak.

"I told you he would find the house," Hermione said, as she opened up the window.

Pig flew in, dropping the letter on Hermione's lap. He then flew over to his cage, which was standing on a table near the kitchen, and perched himself on it.

"I bet you're hungry, aren't you?" Ron asked him.

As Hermione unrolled the letter, Ron stood up and walked into the kitchen.

"What's the letter say?" Ron asked from the kitchen.

"Mum and Dad are happy that I'm much closer to them," Hermione said, looking at the letter, "And they say I can come over around noon tomorrow, though they seem a bit worried about the Floo bit. Can't blame them."

"Are they going to drive you back?" Ron asked.

"Yep," Hermione said, "They really want to see the house."

"Well, perfect," Ron said, as he walked back out of the kitchen and over to Pig's cage, "That goes well with my idea."

"Idea?" Hermione asked.

"I thought I'd visit Harry and Ginny tomorrow," Ron said, "And see if they wanted to come and see the house. I figured we could make it a little get-together. Dinner and stuff, you know?"

"Good idea," Hermione said.

"You like it?" Ron asked.

"It's brilliant," Hermione said, "I'll order pizza when I get back tomorrow, since we don't have anything to fix."

She thought for a moment.

"We do need to get some groceries though," she said.

Ron agreed. They took the Floo Network to Diagon Alley and shopped for groceries. When they got back, it was only seven. Ron offered to make dinner, and Hermione was surprised to learn that Ron could cook. Apparently his mother had taught him when he was younger. Meanwhile, Hermione started writing a list of ideas for the house. She smiled as she started writing, fully realizing that she was finally starting her life with Ron.

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**A/N: Well, that was sort of a filler chapter. I have ideas for the next chapter and then I might hurry through the next week, cause I want to get Ginny started with her training camp. I have so many ideas for that!**

**Hope you liked this chapter. As always, would love to see your feedback!**


	12. Pizza Party

**Chapter 12  
****Pizza Party**

**Author's Note: To those who didn't read the prequel to this story, I have named Hermione's parents Richard and Helen. I've always thought that might be their names. Also, I've been told that I've been calling Euro football soccer (I call it that, cause I am American, of course), but I'll call it football from now on since this is in England. **

**(Hermione's PoV)**

There have been many times in Hermione Granger's life where she appreciated the fact that she could use magic. The first night in the new house was one of those times. She had woken up to Ron's snoring three times during the night, and the third time, she put a silencing charm on him. The only problem about this idea, would be if Ron had woken up before Hermione did. Fortunately, he did not. When Hermione woke up, she took the silencing charm off of him.

She then dressed and went into the kitchen to make breakfast for her and Ron. A few minutes later, as Hermione was fixing pancakes, Ron walked in.

"Smells wonderful in here," he said.

Hermione turned and smiled.

"Sleep well?" Ron asked.

Hermione didn't answer right away. She wondered if she should tell him the truth.

"What's wrong?" Ron asked.

"I slept fine," Hermione finally said.

"I snored, didn't I?" Ron asked.

"Only a little," Hermione said, getting back to the pancakes.

"Sorry," Ron said, "Dad always referred to it as the 'Weasley family curse'. He and all my brothers snore as well. If it bothers you too much, I'll – "

"No, no," Hermione interrupted, "It's fine."

Ron grinned and walked over to her. He put his arms around her from behind, and Hermione giggled.

"Ron!" Hermione said, still laughing, "You're going to make me burn the pancakes."

"They'd probably still taste better than anything I make," Ron said, kissing Hermione's cheek.

"You cook very well," Hermione said.

It was the truth. Ron had made fried chicken and boiled potatoes for dinner the previous night, and Hermione loved it. Hermione sighed, knowing she couldn't resist being in Ron's arms, and took her wand out of her pocket. She had never cooked with magic before, but she knew the theory of it. She muttered a spell under her breath and pointed the wand at the frying pan. The spatula started flipping the pancakes on its own.

"You know," Ron said, looking at the frying pan, as Hermione turned around in his arms, "It's a wonder why wizards use house-elves at all. Magic cooks and cleans just as good, or better, than them."

"That is sort of what I've been saying all along," Hermione said, "Wizards and witches should stop using house-elves to do their work. Especially when magic can do everything they can."

"You're not going to start with that _spew _stuff again, are you?" Ron asked.

"It's S.P.E.W!" Hermione said, slapping Ron on the back.

Ron laughed.

"Ow! I was joking," he said, "I know what it is called."

Hermione sighed and stared into Ron's eyes. There were times where she just wanted to kick him, but there were other times, like when she was in his arms, where she didn't know why she had hated him at the beginning of their first year in Hogwarts.

"I'm happy being with you in this house," Ron said, looking at her, "I don't know what I'd do if I was all alone in here."

Hermione grinned.

"Probably go mental," she said, laughing.

"Definitely," he said.

He then kissed her, and Hermione returned the kiss. Before it could last more than a few moments, a noise was heard behind her.

"Oh!" Hermione said, breaking the kiss, "The pancakes are done."

She ducked out of Ron's arms and served the pancakes. As she was serving them at the small table near the arched doorway, Ron quickly fed Pigwidgeon, who had just woken up. He then walked over to the table and sat down.

"So you don't have to be over at your parents' house until noon, right?" Ron asked.

"Yep," Hermione said, "Why?"

"No reason," Ron said, shrugging, as he dug into his pancakes, "I was trying to decide when I wanted to visit Harry and Ginny. I imagine they'll be home around noon, so I'll leave a little while after you do."

"We still haven't finished unpacking." Hermione said, "We barely did much yesterday. So we'll have to do that before we do anything. Also, I haven't had a chance to go into the backyard since we moved in."

"I went out last night," Ron said, "There's a table and four chairs out there."

"We can always put these two out there as well," Hermione said.

"For what?" Ron asked.

"For dinner tonight," Hermione said, "Kitchen's not big enough for six people, and the back yard would be perfect. I'm sure it will be a lovely night outside tonight."

"You're starting to sound like my mother," Ron said, chuckling, "Planning ahead even for the smallest, and simplest, of get-togethers."

Hermione blushed.

"I just want everything to be perfect," she said, "I mean, this is our house now. We're going to be living here for a while, so I --"

"Relax, Hermione," Ron said, "I know what you mean."

"I am being a little dramatic about all this, aren't I?" Hermione said, grinning.

"Maybe a little," Ron said, "But I can't blame you. It is kinda exciting, huh?"

Hermione nodded and started on her breakfast.

------------------------------------

After breakfast, Hermione started unpacking the boxes in the living room, while Ron started on the kitchen and bathroom. She had a stack of parchment, and some quills and ink near her at all times so she could add things to her list of ideas if anything came to mind. When Ron was unpacking in the kitchen, Hermione heard him chuckle at something.

"I can't believe I forgot about this," he said, barely loud enough for Hermione to hear him.

"What is it, Ron?" Hermione asked.

He peered around the archway seperating the kitchen and the living room.

"You ever wonder how the Weasley family clock at the Burrow had come into existence?" Ron asked.

"Probably at one point or another, yes," Hermione said.

"Dad made it around the time I was born," Ron said, "Then when Ginny was born, he added her name onto it. Over the years, as we grew up, he put new pictures with our names. Anyway, a few days ago, I walked in on him working on something in his garage. He wanted it to be a surprise for you and me, but when I found out what it was, he made me promise not to tell you about it until moving day. Well, we were so busy yesterday I totally forgot about it."

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked.

Ron disappeared for a moment, then reappeared and walked over to Hermione. Something very large was wrapped in a small blanket. Ron unwrapped it. Hermione gasped. It was exactly like the Weasley family clock, except that it only had her and Ron's name on it.

"Holy Merlin," Hermione said, in wonder.

"Dad said it was originally going to be our wedding present whenever that came around," Ron said, "But he hadn't foreseen us moving out of the house before that day came. The night after I called Mr. Wycott, Dad started on this. I think he's going to make one for Harry and Ginny too."

"This is... it's just brilliant," Hermione said, grinning.

"It's one of my father's secrets," Ron said, "He's good at stuff like this, but he got caught up in all that Muggle stuff and he put stuff like this down farther on his priority list. It's probably one of the reasons why Mum never really liked that he went into the Muggle artifact business. She knew he had much better talents, but that he always wanted to hide them."

"I can't see why," Hermione said, looking at the clock, "It's beautiful."

Ron nodded and brought the clock over to the wall near the kitchen's archway. He hung it up, using a sticking charm.

"We'll have to take it down for a while when Harry and Ginny come," Ron said.

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"Dad's request," Ron said, "He wants to make sure their clock is a better surprise than this turned out to be."

"It is a pleasant surprise," Hermione said, "But I can understand his reasons."

Ron smiled and returned to the kitchen. A few minutes later, Hermione heard the end of a wizard rock song, followed by a voice.

"That was the Weird Sisters singing 'Magical Melody'," the voice said, "Their first single since the death of their band-mate. You're listening to Wizarding Wireless Network."

Hermione peered back into the kitchen and noticed the small radio sitting in the center of the kitchen table. It was the same radio they had used during the hunt for the Horcruxes. A more familiar voice was heard on the radio.

"Hey there!" the voice said.

"Is that George?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah!" Ron said, staring at the radio, "That git! He didn't say anything about being on the radio."

"This is George Weasley," George's voice said, "Owner of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. I'm proud to announce that the store in Diagon Alley will be re-opening on August fourteenth. Just in time for back-to-school! Grand re-opening sale on all items, including the Skiving Snackboxes, guaranteed to give you freedom from classes with just a simple sample. Also introducing the new Blast-Bang Box, fireworks that are guaranteed to light up the sky as if it was morning! I just saw them myself recently, and I tell you, you don't want to miss them. Also, for those jokesters near Hogsmeade village, don't forget that the store there is open right now! Tell my good pal, Lee Jordan, that I sent you, and you'll get a buy one, get one discount on any one thing in the store! That's Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. See you there!"

"I swear," Ron said, turning down the radio, "A couple days back from his honeymoon and he's already back to his old self. You'd think Angelina would have calmed him down, eh?"

"I don't think there is a single person who can calm George Weasley down," Hermione said.

"Well, except for Mum," Ron said.

Hermione grinned and returned to unpacking.

------------------------------------

At noon, Hermione traveled to her parents' house via Floo Powder. When she arrived, she thought that her parents would react badly about her arrival, but they weren't in the living room. She quickly cleaned up the dust and soot, and went looking for them. They were in the back yard, sitting on the lawn chairs, and talking to each other. Her father was the first to notice her arrival.

"Hermione!" Richard said, standing up, "We didn't expect you for a little while."

"I said I would be here around noon," Hermione said.

"Is it noon already?" Helen asked, "Time flies. Your father and I have just been enjoying the nice weather."

"Come here and give your old man a hug," Richard said.

Hermione walked over to her parents and hugged them.

"Did Ron come with you?" Richard asked.

"No," Hermione said, "He's going over to his sister's house. She and Harry haven't seen my new house either. Ron thought we could all have a little get-together at my new house later. I was going to order pizza."

"That would be lovely!" Helen said, "We have nothing better to do."

"Have you seen Crookshanks yet?" Richard asked.

"Nope," Hermione said, "I just arrived."

"I bet he's up in your old room," Helen said, "He loves it up there."

"I guess I'll go up and see him then," Hermione said.

"All right, honey," Richard said, "Just tell us when you want to leave, and we'll go."

Hermione nodded, though she figured she could stay around the house for a little while. With Ron visiting Ginny and Harry, there wouldn't be much to do at the house. She walked back into the house and went upstairs to her bedroom. When she walked in, she immediately saw Crookshanks laying on her bed.

"Oh, is that your bed now?" Hermione asked him.

Crookshanks sat up and looked at Hermione, his flat orange face smiling in a grin. Hermione grinned and picked him up, cuddling him.

"You missed me, didn't you?" she asked.

He purred, almost like a song.

"Well, you won't have to miss me any longer," Hermione said, "You're going home with me and Ron."

Crookshanks purred once again.

"Yeah!" Hermione said, "We have a new house. You'll love it. But you have to promise to leave Pigwidgeon alone."

Crookshanks hissed.

"Oh, don't be like that," Hermione said.

She put him back on the bed, and started packing up her things.

----------------------------------  
**(Ron's PoV)**Ron had forgotten to write to Harry and Ginny and tell them he was planning to come over, so he didn't want to use the Floo Network to get to their house. He decided to apparate to Harry's house, hoping that no one would see him appear when he arrived. He apparated right in front of the door, then took a quick look around. To his relief, nobody was peeking out any windows or outside that could have seen him. He knocked on the door. A moment later, the door opened. Harry was standing there.

"Hey, Ron," Harry said, "What are you doing here?"

"Hermione went to visit her parents and pick up Crookshanks and her things," Ron said, "So I thought I'd come over and visit."

"Well, come on in," Harry said.

Ron followed Harry into the house.

"I would have come by the Floo Network," Ron said, "But it'd be like barging in."

"Have to give a person a chance to deny you entrance," Harry said.

"What?" Ron asked.

"Nothing," Harry said, "Something Professor Dumbledore said once."

"Oh," Ron said, "Well, I also came over to invite you to my new place. Hermione's parents want to see the house, so I thought you and Ginny could come over as well. We were going to have a little get-together."

"Brilliant," Harry said, "Actually it would be perfect."

"Really?" Ron asked.

Harry looked around for a moment, then back to Ron.

"I want to talk to you and Hermione," he said, "About Ginny's birthday. I want to do something special, but I need some ideas."

"Hermione would probably be better at that than I am," Ron said.

"No offense, mate," Harry said, "But I think you're right."

Ron chuckled.

"None taken," he said.

Ginny walked around the corner of the second level to the staircase.

"Hey, Ron!" she said, happily, "I thought I heard you. What are you doing here?"

"He's invited us over to his place for dinner," Harry said.

"Brilliant!" Ginny exclaimed, "What are we having?"

"Pizza, I think," Ron said, "Hermione's treat."

"You've had pizza, right?" Harry asked Ginny.

"Er... I don't know," Ginny said.

"I can't believe pizza isn't a delicacy in the wizarding world," Harry said, shaking his head.

"Heh," Ron said, chuckling, "Just when you think you know as much as you need to in the wizarding world, eh?"

"Oh, I wish that was true," Harry said.

"So when are we leaving?" Ginny asked.

"Oh, doesn't matter to me," Ron said, "Hermione's visiting her parents, and she was going to bring them to the house as well. I don't know when she'll be back. They're coming all the way from Oxfordshire. So... what have you been doing?"

"Not much," Ginny said, "I wrote a letter to Gwenog Jones, asking her how I am going to get to the camp the first day. She wrote back and said the Floo Network would be connected, and not to worry."

"It doesn't start for another week though, right?" Ron asked.

"Yeah," Ginny said, then frowned, "Don't know what I'll do around here while Harry's at work."

"Sight-see?" Harry suggested.

Ginny nodded. Deciding they didn't have to leave any time soon, Ron sat with Harry and Ginny in the living room and talked to them for a while.

----------------------------------------

**(Hermione's POV)**

An hour after she arrived at her parents' house, she was in the back of her parents' car, heading for her house. Her parents lived in Oxfordshire, so it would take a little while to get back to London. Hermione wondered if Ron would be at the house with Harry and Ginny when they arrived. Ron said something about leaving for their place shortly after she left, but he could use the Floo Network both ways, and he could have been back thirty minutes after he left. Of course, he knew she wouldn't be there, so he might have stayed for a while.

Because she was busy packing up the rest of her things in her old bedroom, Hermione hadn't had much of a chance for any deep conversation with her parents. She expected they would save that for the car ride. She was right.

"So, Hermione," Richard said from the driver's seat, "How is your job? You haven't written about it since you started."

"It isn't anything that's too confidential, is it?" Helen asked, "I know you're working for a judge."

"Oh!" Hermione said, "No, no. It isn't anything like that. I've just been a little busy lately. Really, the only interesting thing I do is copy notes for each court case and they get copied into the wizarding newspaper. It's annonymous, so my name is never in the paper."

"It must be good money if you can afford this house," Richard said.

"Ron paid for the house, Dad," Hermione said.

"And what does he do?" Richard asked.

Hermione thought she had told her parents what Ron did, but maybe they just forgot.

"He's an Auror," she said, "Well, technically he's in Auror training."

"Is that like the police?" Richard asked.

"Yeah, basically," Hermione said, "My friend, Harry, is also an Auror-in-Training in well."

"Have we met him?" Richard asked.

"Er..." Hermione said.

Honestly she didn't remember if Harry had ever officially met her parents. He might have seen them in the train station. Of course, she wasn't too sure how much her parents' memory had restored since their return from Australia. She had finally been able to find a way to restore it magically, but there were times when she thought that there were things they had forgotten.

"Well, you said he and Ron's sister are going to be at the house too, right?" Helen asked.

"They'll be there sometime today," Hermione said, nodding.

"Well, we'll meet them then," she said, smiling.

"Yeah, of course," Hermione said.

Less than an hour later, they pulled up to the house. There was no driveway, so they had to park on the side of the road. When they walked in, Hermione noticed that Ron hadn't come back yet. At that thought, he wondered how he would come back with Harry and Ginny, and she deduced that they would probably arrive by Floo Powder. Hermione took her parents on a tour of the house. The only embarrassing moment of the whole tour was when her mother asked if she and Ron were sharing the bed. She decided to tell a little white lie, and tell her that Ron was sleeping on the couch, as they had originally decided. Hermione's mother looked a little relieved at this. Hermione felt guilty lying about it, but she decided it was okay. It was a very personal question to ask, she thought, even if it was her mother asking it.

While Hermione was showing her parents the back yard, she thought she heard a whoosh sound followed by a couple more minutes later. Hermione walked back into the house, and saw Harry, Ginny and Ron; Ron was magically cleaning up the soot and ash.

"Oh, you're here!" he said, when he noticed her walk in, "Are your parents here?"

Hermione was about to answer, when her parents walked into the living room.

Ron welcomed them to his house and shook their hands. He introduced them to Ginny and Harry. Hermione had decided that she didn't need to order pizza until around five, so they went into deep conversations. Well, all except her father, who was testing out the new television. Football was on: England against Spain. England had scored a goal as soon as Richard had turned it on and he cheered.

"When did Dad get so enthused about football?" Hermione asked her mother, as they led Ginny into the back yard.

Ron and Harry had stayed in the living room with Richard, and Hermione heard Harry telling Ron about the game.

"Oh," Helen said, and Hermione noticed a little blush in her cheeks as if she was embarassed, "A friend of ours, a fellow dentist, won tickets to a game recently, and took your father with him. He had so much fun that he's now chosen to watch every game that comes around."

Hermione started to explain to Ginny what football was, but Ginny put her hand up.

"When I visited Harry's relatives," she said, "His uncle was watching it. Harry explained it to me. It's sorta like Quidditch, I'll say that."

"Quidditch?" Helen asked.

"Ginny's a professional Quidditch player," Hermione explained, "She starts her first training camp a week from Monday."

Ginny then explained to Helen all the facts about Quidditch.

"Sounds like something Richard would love," Helen said, laughing, after Ginny was finished.

"I'm not sure if any Muggles have ever been to a Quidditch game," Ginny said.

"You've never played Quidditch, have you?" Helen asked Hermione.

"Mum, you know me," Hermione said, "I hate heights. I only go on a broomstick when I have to."

"I've never quite understood how broomsticks would be a good form of transportation," Helen said, "They look downright uncomfortable."

"Most have cushioning charms," Ginny said, "Otherwise, yes, they would literally be a pain in the butt."

Helen laughed.

"I'm going to make tea," Hermione said, "Anybody want some?"

"Sure," Ginny said.

"That would be lovely," Helen said.

Hermione walked back into the house. As she went in, she heard her mother ask Ginny to tell her more about Quidditch. Hermione grinned and walked into the kitchen.

"Block that ring, I mean the goal!" Ron said.

Hermione laughed.

_Great_, she thought, _Dad's going to make Ron a fan of the game. Just what I need._

Hermione made iced tea and cut a lemon into slices. She put three glasses on a tray and walked out of the kitchen.

"You boys having fun?" she asked as he walked past Ron, Harry and her father.

England scored another goal just as Ron was going to answer, then he turned back to the television and cheered.

"Tea's in the kitchen if you can get away from that," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

She walked back outside and served the tea.

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Around five that evening, Hermione ordered three large supreme pizzas. While they were waiting for it, Hermione, Ginny and Helen set up the table. Hermione was going to ask the guys to help, but the game still had ten minutes to go, and she knew it was no use. When the pizza arrived forty-five minutes later, they sat around the table in the backyard. Sometime during the game, Harry and Ron must have told Richard about Quidditch, because now they were comparing football to it.

"Quidditch is much more physical than soccer," Ron said, "There's none of those stupid penalties like off-sides and stuff."

"Quidditch has no penalties?" Richard asked.

"Actually it probably has more penalties than football, Mr. Granger," Harry said.

"Though, in football," Hermione said to them, "I don't think anyone vanishes and turns up in the Sahara months later."

Richard snorted into his tea.

"Maybe I will have to watch a Quidditch game!" he said, laughing.

Hermione rolled her eyes. She had meant that to be worse than it must have sounded.

"I'm not sure just yet how many tickets I can get," Ginny said, to Richard, "But if I can get any, you can watch one of the games."

Richard looked mighty happy about that. Hermione looked at her mother, and she knew what she was thinking: there's just no stopping them now.

Hermione's parents left around eight-o-clock, since they would have a little bit of a drive, and had to get up early the next morning. Harry and Ginny stayed and talked to Ron and Hermione. When Ginny went up to go to the bathroom, Harry spoke in whispers to Hermione and Ron.

"I've been trying to decide what I want to do for Ginny's birthday," he said, "Any ideas?"

"Ginny's birthday is in the middle of the week, right?" Hermione said.

"Yeah, the eleventh," Ron said.

"If you're planning a party," Hermione said,"Wait for the weekend."

"Yeah," Harry said.

"We could have the party at your house," Ron said, "Mum and Dad haven't seen your house and it's bigger than this one for a party of that size. Mum, of course, would want to have it at her house, but I know she and Dad want to see our houses. They can see both when they come up."

"Yeah," Harry said, "And then I can do something just for Ginny on her birthday."

Hermione wondered for a moment just what Harry was going to do for Ginny. That exact subject was brought up when she went into the kitchen for more tea a few minutes later. Harry followed her.

"Can I talk to you in private for a moment?" Harry whispered to her.

Hermione nodded.

"I don't want to talk to Ron about this yet," Harry said, "And I don't want you to mention it to him. I'll talk to him about it when I have to."

"Okay," Hermione said.

"You have to promise," Harry said.

"Okay, I promise," Hermione said, "What is it?"

Harry sighed, pausing for a moment. He looked at his feet then back to Hermione.

"I'm going to ask Ginny to marry me," he said, "On her birthday, I mean."

"Seriously?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Harry said, "What do you think?"

"I think," Hermione said, "it's brilliant. You are going to talk to Mr. Weasley about it first?"

Harry looked at her, but said nothing.

"It's traditional to ask that father for his daughter's hand in marriage, Harry," Hermione said, "Even in the wizarding world."

"Ron didn't ask your father, did he?" Harry asked.

"Harry, you know it wasn't planned when he asked me," Hermione said, grinning, then sighed, "We talked to them a couple days after, though. They were happy with it, of course. You aren't worried about it, are you? Harry, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley love you."

"I'm not worried," Harry said, "I'm more... nervous about it."

"You'll do fine," Hermione said, smiling, "I'm sure Mr. Weasley will be okay with it, and I'm sure Ginny will say yes."

Harry nodded.

"You won't say anything to Ron about it, right?" he asked.

"Harry, I promised," Hermione said, "It's all up to you."

"Good," Harry said.

"You have the ring yet?" Hermione asked.

"It's my mother's old ring," Harry said, nodding.

"Brilliant," Hermione said.

Harry grinned and helped Hermione bring out the tea.

---------------------------------------

**A/N: Couldn't figure another way to end it, so I ended it like that. Yes, I gave away my plans for Harry's popping the question, but I thought I'd bring it up. Ginny's birthday won't be for at least a couple of chapters. I have one or two chapters in mind before it.**

**At first, I thought this would be another filler chapter, but once everyone got to the house, it was better as it went. Hope you liked it!**

Feedback would be wonderful, as always!


	13. The Talk: Part 2

**Chapter 13  
****The Talk (Part 2!)**

**Author's Note: For those who didn't read Return to Hogwarts, Harry talks about a vault in this chapter. It isn't his vault with the money. In Return to Hogwarts, Harry gets another vault that once belonged to his parents. It had been filled with furniture and stuff. If you haven't read Return to Hogwarts, please do. It's just as wonderful as this, I promise you.**

**(Harry's PoV)**

Harry woke up the next morning, sweat covering his brow. It had been a rough night's sleep. He had been in bed for an hour that night before he even got to sleep. He had been thinking about his discussion with Hermione that evening. If he wanted to pop the question to Ginny on her birthday, he knew he'd have to talk to her father before then. He had argued this fact over and over with himself. In the end, he decided that he would have to do it before too long, and decided that if he could do it the next day, then he would. Well, now, the next day was upon him and he was having second thoughts again. He got dressed, and walked out of his bedroom.

He started to walk past Ginny's bedroom, then stopped. He opened her bedroom door slightly. Ginny was still sound asleep in her bed. She wouldn't be starting Quidditch training camp for a whole week and she could sleep in as long as she wanted. Harry watched her for a moment, imagining himself cuddled up next to her, waking up from a good night's rest, and seeing her in his arms. He smiled to himself, thinking this was what he wanted for the rest of his life. He was about to close the door when...

"Harry?" Ginny said, sleepily.

Harry looked back at her. Her eyes had opened a little.

"I thought you were asleep," Harry said.

"I was," Ginny said, "What are you doing?"

"Getting ready for work," Harry said, "Thought I'd check in on you."

Ginny smiled. She lifted a hand up and moved it in a come-here motion. He walked over to her, knowing what she wanted. He leaned toward her and kissed her. She returned the kiss, and almost pulled him onto the bed. Harry laughed.

"I have to get ready for work," he said, still laughing.

"I know," Ginny said, though she was pouting, "What am I going to do here without you?"

"You'll figure that out," Harry said.

"Can I meet you for lunch?" Ginny asked.

"Sure," Harry said, "Leaky Cauldron? At quarter-past-noon?"

Ginny nodded. Harry smiled, pecked Ginny on the lips once again, then walked toward the door.

"Harry?" Ginny said, again.

"Yes?" Harry said, turning back around.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you too," he said, smiling.

She grinned and pulled her covers closer to her and closed her eyes once again. Harry walked out the door, shutting it quietly behind him. He smiled to himself. This was definitely what he wanted for the rest of his life.

---------------------------------

After a quick breakfast, Harry went to the Ministry via Floo Powder. He walked into the lifts, and to his surprise, Mr. Weasley walked in a few moments later.

"Harry!" he said, spotting Harry and pushing through the crowd toward him.

"Hello Mr. Weasley," he said, as the lifts closed and started its journey downwards.

"Ready for another day of work?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Yeah," Harry said.

Harry's thoughts went back to his discussion with Hermione the previous night. It was now or never.

"Mr. Weasley," he said, "How busy are you today? I was just hoping we could talk in private sometime."

"Quite busy, Harry," Mr. Weasley said, "Another meeting with the Muggle Prime Minister. Though if memory serves me correctly, I should have a little break for lunch. We could meet at the Leaky Cauldron. When is your break?"

"From twelve to one," Harry said.

"So is mine!" Mr. Weasley said, "How about that? We could meet there around, say, twelve-fifteen?"

"Sure," Harry said, without pausing to think.

A light ding was heard, and the lifts opened.

"Oh!" Mr. Weasley, "Looks like your stop. See you for lunch, Harry."

"Yep," Harry said.

He moved through the crowd and walked out of the lifts. A thought came to mind as soon as he walked out of the lifts. He had also promised to meet Ginny for lunch at that very same place and time. He couldn't say what he wanted to Mr. Weasley, if Ginny was there. He turned and was about to tell Mr. Weasley that the lunch would have to be delayed, when the lifts closed. He swore to himself. He walked down the hall, pondering his next move. Should he cancel with Ginny, or Mr. Weasley? He really needed to talk to Mr. Weasley, and he could just make it up to Ginny with a nice dinner. He nodded, thinking this was the best idea, and he walked toward the Auror Headquarters, hoping he could find a messenger owl and some parchment.

He walked into the Auror Headquarters and over to the front desk. The secretary was drinking his first of many coffees and thumbing through a pamphlet. Harry cleared his throat to get his attention.

"Yes?" the man said, putting down his coffee.

"Do you know if there are any messenger owls around here?" Harry asked.

"Depends," the man said, "Is your destination inside or outside of the Ministry?"

"Outside," Harry said.

"Third door on your right," the man said, "once you get into the hallway."

"Thanks," Harry said.

The man just nodded and returned to his pamphlet. A quick glance at the pamphlet told Harry that it was the same kind of Squib pamphlet Argus Filch once owned. The man saw Harry looking at the pamphlet, and put it down quickly. He went red in the face, and Harry didn't know if it was from anger or embarrassment. Harry turned away, anyway.

Anyone not familiar with the headquarters would not know what hallway the secretary was talking about. The front room of the Auror Headquarters looked, to the untrained eye, to be the only room. Harry, however, knew differently. He walked to the right of the desk and stood next to the wall. He tapped his wand on four places. The sign he made with his wand was the points, and the center bar, of the capital A, which, of course, stood for Auror. The arched doorway appeared, leading into a hallway, and Harry walked in. Near the end of the hallway was a door marked with a T. This was the door to head into the Training facilities. But he didn't need to go there just yet.

The third door on the right was marked with an O. Harry wondered if this meant Owls or Outside mail. He opened the door and walked in. The room reminded him of the Owlery at Hogwarts, except the only light inside the cylindrical room was at the very top. Harry knew where this light came from. Mr. Weasley had told him, years before, that the Magical Maintenance put light in places where it usually shouldn't be, given that the Ministry of Magic was underground. Near the center of the room was a podium. It had a large stack of parchment, quills and ink. Harry walked over to it and started writing:

_Ginny,_

_Have to cancel that lunch-date. Looks like today will be a busy day for me. I'll make it up with dinner. See you later._

Love, Harry

Harry folded up the piece of parchment. He walked over to the owls and immediately found his choice. It was a snowy owl that reminded him, with a bit of sadness, of Hedwig. The only difference was that this owl looked a little off-color. Harry attached the letter to the owl's leg, and the owl flew out the door. Harry walked out the door and headed for the training facilities. When he arrived at the locker rooms, he noticed that Ron was there.

"Good morning," Harry said.

"Morning, mate," Ron said, grinning.

Harry studied his expression. He had made Hermione promise not to tell Ron about his plans. He immediately wondered if Hermione had broke her promise.

"You look cheerful," he said.

"It's nothing," Ron said, shaking his hand, dismissively, "Hermione's meeting me for lunch at Fortescue's. Want to join us?"

"I have something I need to do," Harry said.

"Meeting Ginny?" Ron asked.

"No," Harry said, "Been meaning to stop by my other vault and pick up a few things. Wanted to do that before I forget."

It was a lie, though not too much of one. He had been meaning to go to his parents' old vault to go through some of the things that had been left in there. He only lied, thinking that he didn't want Ron to know of his plans to propose to Ginny just yet.

"Well, maybe afterward," Ron said, "If you got time."

"Yeah," Harry said.

He dressed into his training clothes, making a mental note to visit his vault after his discussion with Mr. Weasley, if he had time.

-------------------------------------

At noon, Harry left the Auror Headquarters and made his way to the Atrium, where he went to the Leaky Cauldron via Floo Powder. Mr. Weasley was sitting at a corner table. Harry hoped that Ron wouldn't see them, and he also hoped Ginny got his letter. Either factor, if it had gone the opposite way, could mess up his plans. He walked over, greeted Mr. Weasley, and sat down across from him.

"I took the liberty of ordering a couple of specials," Mr. Weasley said, "My treat. Hope you don't mind."

Harry looked at the board that read the special: Fish and Chips and free choice of pie. One of Tom's favorite meals.

"Sounds great, thanks," Harry said.

"If you don't mind me saying," Mr. Weasley said, "When you asked me to talk to you in private, it sounded pretty important. Something wrong with work?"

"Oh!" Harry said, "No. Nothing like that. Work is just fine."

"Wonderful," Mr. Weasley said, "I only asked because Kingsley's been riding my department's coattails trying to find any bad apples if you know what I mean."

"Yes, sir," Harry said.

"Not that you have anything to worry about, of course," Mr. Weasley said, smiling, "So... what did you want to talk to me about."

"Well," Harry said, clearing his throat, "As you know, Ginny's birthday is coming up."

"Wednesday after next," Mr. Weasley said.

"Yes," Harry said, "I'm planning a party for her at my house that following weekend. I was hoping Mrs. Weasley didn't have anything planned. It's the first big opportunity to have a little get-together at my place, so..."

"I'm sure Molly will be delighted," Mr. Weasley said, "Between you and me, she needs a little time away from the Burrow."

Harry nodded.

"Are you planning anything special for Ginny's birthday itself?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Yes, sir," Harry said, "It's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about. I'm going to have a little private dinner with her somewhere. Maybe here. Though it isn't too..."

He then blushed. He was about to say "romantic", but it wasn't quite the subject he wanted to talk to Mr. Weasley about.

"I know what you mean," Mr. Weasley said, chuckling, "This place was around when Molly and I started dating. Tom was a bit younger, of course, but he was the bartender here even back then. Between you and me, it definitely isn't the type of place for a nice private dinner."

Mr. Weasley winked. Harry grinned.

"Continue," Mr. Weasley said, "I imagine you have more in mind."

Harry paused for a moment. Did Mr. Weasley know what he was about to ask?

"Yes, sir," Harry said, though slowly, "There was something I wanted to ask Ginny, but I think I need to talk to you about it first."

Harry paused. This was the moment. He was starting to wonder if this was going to be harder than asking Ginny to marry him.

"Well," Harry said, "My main reason for this discussion -- is that -- sir, I was hoping to get your permission for your daughter's hand in marriage."

Harry sighed. He had said that last bit calmly, but maybe a little too quickly. He started thinking all kinds of things. Maybe Mr. Weasley would say no. Maybe he would tell him that he and Ginny were too young for this, especially since there was now no need to quicken a relationship. Maybe Harry should have gone the way Ron and Hermione went. Pop the question then talk to Ginny's parents about it. Hermione's parents seemed just fine with the whole thing. They love Ron.

"I expected this would come up sometime soon," Mr. Weasley said.

Harry nodded. He couldn't help but notice that Mr. Weasley wasn't smiling nor frowning at the moment.

"After Ron and Hermione announced their engagement," Mr. Weasley said, "Molly and I started talking about this exact thing. We wondered when some lad would be asking that very question you did."

Harry almost flinched at the words "some lad".

"Harry," Mr. Weasley said, "You should know that Molly and I already see you as an honorary part of our family. You've practically lived at the Burrow when you were away from your relatives house, until you got your own house, of course."

Harry nodded. Though he had mentally smiled at the words "honorary part of our family", his expression was almost set in stone. He still wasn't sure of Mr. Weasley's answer.

"You love Ginny, right?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"With all of my heart," Harry said, nodding.

"I thought so," Mr. Weasley said, "And I can see that Ginny loves you."

"Yeah," Harry said.

"If Ginny says yes," Mr. Weasley said, "Do you have any plans to...?"

"Oh!" Harry said, "Of course, we'd wait for a while for the wedding. It's just... I've gone over this in my head, night after night, and I see no better time... no perfect chance... to ask her than her birthday."

"It does seem a good time as any," Mr. Weasley agreed.

"Sir," Harry said, "If you want to talk this over with Mrs. Weasley..."

"Oh, I'm sure it will come up," Mr. Weasley said, nodding.

"I can wait for your answer," Harry said.

"I don't think that's necessary," Mr. Weasley said, "I already mentioned that this has been in my head for a while. And it has been in Molly's thoughts. I'm sure she'll agree with me... when I say I think it would be okay if you went ahead with your plans."

Harry grinned, and almost cheered in excitement.

"Thanks, sir," Harry said.

Mr. Weasley smiled. Out of the corner of Harry's eye, he saw Ron and Hermione walk out the back of the building. They were talking to each other, and didn't notice him or Mr. Weasley, who also saw them.

"Have you talked to Ron about this?" Mr. Weasley asked, looking from Ron to Harry.

"No, sir," Harry said.

"You're wanting to wait," Mr. Weasley said.

"Yeah," Harry said.

Mr. Weasley chuckled.

"I think you probably noticed," he said. "Ron has always been protective of Ginny. All of her brothers have. She's the only girl in the family, other than Molly, of course. I'm sure Ron still sees her the same way I do sometimes: that little red-headed girl stepping into Professor Dumbledore's office, after her troubling experience in the Chamber of Secrets, looking just as petrified as if she was one of the Basilisk's victims."

Harry's mouth went dry. He took a sip of water. Mr. Weasley smiled.

"I guess you didn't realize that, huh?" he asked.

Harry didn't answer.

"You will," Mr. Weasley said, "When you're in my position, you'll know just what I'm talking about. I guarantee it."

Harry was thankful that any possible reply was interrupted by Tom bringing over two plates of fish and chips.

--------------------------------------

**(Hermione's PoV)**Hermione smiled, privately. She was sitting at one of the little tables outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, though her mind wasn't on her Strawberry-Chocolate Malt.

Ten minutes before, as she was walking toward the back of the Leaky Cauldron with Ron, she had seen Harry and Mr. Weasley in the corner of her eye. Both were looking pretty happy, and Hermione had wondered if Harry had asked him the important question of the discussion. When it looked as if Ron was about to look around the bar, Hermione spoke up.

"Bet it's a scorcher today," she said, quickly, getting Ron's attention, "Florean's ice cream sounds wonderful right about now, eh?"

Ron had nodded, and this had quickened his pace out of the Leaky Cauldron.

Hermione looked at her engagement ring, smiling. There were random moments during her stay at the Burrow, when she was either in bed, waiting for sleep to overcome her, or around the perimeter of the lot during early morning jogs, that she looked at this ring and wondered if and when Harry, one of her best friends in the world, would be in her position with Ginny. Harry's entire life had been so troubling that Hermione just wanted to see him happy. There were few times when Hermione knew that Harry had been really happy, and she knew many of those times were when he was with Ginny.

She remembered when she first realized that Harry was starting to have feelings for Ron's sister. It was ironic, though, that it had happened shortly after her discussion with Ginny about him. It was back in the summer between her fifth and sixth year. That day, Harry had arrived at the Burrow, fresh from his journey with Dumbledore and his visit with Slughorn. Hermione had noticed that Ginny was eyeing Harry more than she normally would. She knew that Ginny had had a crush on Harry for quite some time. Harry, being the oblivious boy he was, hadn't noticed this at all. Hermione knew all about Ginny's attempts. It had been a part of that very discussion she was thinking now:

_Flashback:_

It was evening at the Burrow. Hermione was laying in her cot reading one of her school books for the new year at Hogwarts. She was immersed in the book, but even that couldn't keep her from hearing scratches from a quill. Ginny was sitting at her desk, writing on a piece of parchment.

"_What are you doing?" Hermione asked._

_"Writing to Dean," Ginny said._

"_Dean?" Hermione replied, "Dean Thomas?"_

"Yep," Ginny said, "He wrote to me just this morning. He asked me out."

"Out?" Hermione asked, "Like on a date?"

"Yeah," Ginny said, "He said at the end of the last term that he would write to me. We've been exchanging letters over the summer. Now he finally asked me out."

_Hermione grinned. She put down her book. It may have been surprising to someone like Ron, but this was more interesting than some school book._

"You like him?" she asked.

"_I guess," Ginny said, shrugging, "I mean... not as much as..."_

Ginny sighed.

"_Not as much as Harry," Hermione finished for her._

_Ginny nodded._

"_Ginny," Hermione said, sighing, "Please tell me this isn't going to be another Michael Corner thing."_

"I don't know what you are talking about," Ginny said.

"_Yes you do," Hermione said, "You know as well as I do that you only went out with Michael Corner to see if Harry would get jealous."_

"Didn't work, did it?" Ginny asked, scoffing, "Only one who noticed was Ron."

Ginny scoffed again.

"_I know what you're thinking, Ginny," Hermione said, "Michael Corner wasn't a Gryffindor, so it didn't affect Harry as much as you would have liked. Dean Thomas is a Gryffindor, and one of Harry's dorm-mates. So you're hoping that Harry will notice more."_

"Maybe," Ginny said.

"_Ginny," Hermione said, sighing and standing up._

_She walked over to Ginny._

"_I think you need to just give up on Harry," she said._

"_Why?" Ginny asked, "So you can have him?"__Hermione flinched at Ginny's response. It was unexpected._

"_My feelings for Harry are only platonic," Hermione said, "Believe me."_

This was true. In terms of the way Ginny was talking about, Hermione secretly liked Ron more than Harry. Though she wouldn't tell Ginny that.

"_So why do I need to give up on Harry?" Ginny asked._

"_Because I think it will only break your heart," Hermione said. "Ginny, Harry may not know this yet, but I don't think he's looking for a relationship."_

"Right," Ginny scoffed, "What do you call what he had with Cho?"

"You know very well," Hermione said, "that that was before what happened down in the Department of Mysteries."

"So you're saying that just because Sirius is dead," Ginny said, "that Harry doesn't want to love anyone?"

"No," Hermione said, "I --"

Hermione paused. She couldn't tell Ginny what Harry had confided in her and Ron. She couldn't tell Ginny about the prophecy.

"I just don't think you should use Dean like that, Ginny," she said.

_Ginny sighed._

"_Fine," she said, "Since you don't think I'll get anywhere with Harry, I'll focus on Dean. Now can I get back to my letter?"_

Hermione nodded and laid back down on the cot. Hermione noticed that Ginny was writing harder and faster than before. There would be a couple unexplained puncture marks in her letter when it was sent to Dean.

_Flashback ends_

Hermione had noticed that, even though she had talked to Ginny about it, that Ginny was still flirting with Harry. Harry may not have noticed, but Hermione did. Every time Hermione would bring it up with Ginny, Ginny would deny it, or would not talk about it at all. It turned out that Ginny had been succeeding more than Hermione had known, because Hermione had soon realized that Harry was indeed starting to fall in love with Ginny, and later, of course, Ginny had succeeded altogether.

Now it seemed that Harry and Ginny were about to be in the same situation Hermione and Ron was in. Engaged, without a foreseen date for a wedding. This made Hermione smile. She was, indeed, happy with Harry and Ginny. Even when she had told Ginny to get over Harry, she had really wanted to see them get together. Harry had definitely deserved it.

"You're awfully silent," Ron said, breaking Hermione from her thoughts.

"Sorry," Hermione said, "Just thinking."

"About what?" Ron asked.

"I think," Hermione said, "that even though there is no foreseen date for our wedding, we should start doing some plans for it."

"Oh," Ron said.

"Is that okay?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Ron said, "I mean... we have to start sometime, right?"

Hermione nodded.

"It's not like we're going to Las Vegas and get hitched, right?" Ron asked.

Hermione grinned. After Harry and Ginny left the previous night, Hermione had turned on the television. There was a movie on about a couple who got downright wasted and ended up getting hitched in Las Vegas on a whim. This was the only reason Ron would have brought that up.

"Of course not," Hermione said, "My parents would kill us."

"_My_ parents would kill us," Ron said, "And Mum could get away with it, believe me."

Hermione laughed. She expected Ron was about to say more, but at that precise moment, Draco Malfoy walked by, hand-in-hand with Astoria Greengrass. It seemed Draco hadn't noticed them, but Ron had changed the subject anyway.

"Looks like those two are more serious than I thought," he said, whispering to Hermione and indicating Draco and Astoria with a nod.

"Yep," Hermione said.

"I still say it won't last," Ron said, "Draco's not that type."

Hermione thought different, but she wouldn't say it. Draco was definitely not worth starting an argument over.

------------------------------------------------------------

**(Draco's PoV)**

Draco walked hand-in-hand with Astoria. He had originally planned to meet his mother for a light lunch, but when Draco arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, Astoria was there as well. Draco's mother wasn't around like she promised, and Astoria saw him, and begged him to have lunch with her. Draco had planned to go to Florean's for some ice cream, but when he noticed Ron and Hermione there, he veered Astoria off farther down Diagon Alley, knowing well enough that there wasn't a good restaurant anywhere down that way.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Astoria said, "Mum and Daddy were so delighted with their visit to your house, that they want to invite you and your parents over to my house for dinner sometime this week."

"Mum's pretty busy with work," Draco said.

"Then maybe you could just come over," Astoria said, grinning, "I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind if you stayed the night sometime."

Draco raised an eyebrow. Just what did Astoria have in mind?

"Come on," Astoria said, and Draco noticed a slight whine in her voice, "I go back to Hogwarts in less than a month. You know as well as I do that August always goes quicker than it seems. Before you know it, I'll be back at Hogwarts and you won't get to see me for a while."

Draco sighed. There were times when he was quite happy that Astoria was going to be away for a while. Most of those times happened when Astoria begged him to do things, or wrote him so many letters that her eagle owl, Serenity, had almost fainted from exhaustion. Though there were also times that he knew he would miss Astoria. Draco didn't like to talk about the reasons behind those times.

"All right," he said.

Astoria squealed lightly. Draco had to try his best to not roll his eyes.

"Draco, darling," a familiar voice said behind Draco, "There you are."

Draco turned around. His mother was walking toward him and Astoria.

"I thought you promised to meet me for lunch?" Narcissa asked.

"You were late," Draco said.

"Had to drop off Granger's notes to the Daily Prophet," Narcissa said, frowning.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Malfoy," Astoria said, politely.

Narcissa looked at her as if she had only just noticed Astoria was there.

"Miss Greengrass," Narcissa said, nodding.

Draco was surprised her mother remembered who Astoria was.

"Come on then," Narcissa said, to Draco, "I know a nice place in Knockturn Alley. The owners know me and your father. We almost always get a five-finger discount, if you get my drift."

Draco nodded.

"That sounds lovely, Mrs. Malfoy," Astoria said.

Draco wondered if his mother wouldn't allow Astoria to come along, but all Narcissa did was walk toward Knockturn Alley. Draco, hand-in-hand with Astoria, followed her. Astoria was still grinning. It seemed, Draco realized, that Astoria hadn't noticed that Narcissa Malfoy didn't like her son's new girlfriend very much.

-------------------------------------------------

**Whew! Another chapter finished. Well, I hope you liked Harry's talk with Mr. Weasley. I loved adding Hermione's flashback in there. That is how I thought that particular discussion had gone. I just hope I was right with the timing of it.**

Right now, it seems that Draco and Astoria's part in this story is just small stuff. I don't think I'll go too far into their relationship, though it seems I could be getting somewhere with it. I want to focus more on the main four (Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione) than anyone else in this story.

**More to come! Feedback would be wonderful!**


	14. The Holyhead Harpies

**Chapter 14  
****The Holyhead Harpies**

**Author's Note: I really want to get to Ginny's first day at Quidditch training camp, so I will be, once, again, skipping some time. **

The following Monday, a couple days before her eighteenth birthday, Ginny woke up bright and early. It was her first day at the Quidditch training camp, and she couldn't wait to get it started. Her broom was leaning against the closet door. She was due at the camp at eight-thirty, and would be arriving by Floo Powder.

Harry was already awake, working on breakfast, when Ginny walked downstairs.

"Morning," Harry said, "Ready for training camp?"

"Ye-ye-yeah," Ginny said, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Sounds like it," Harry said, chuckling.

"Sod off!" Ginny said, though she chuckled as well.

"How long will you be there?" Harry asked.

"I leave at eight-thirty," Ginny said, "And from what Gwenog said in her last letter, it looks like we train until five every weekday, with an hour break for lunch."

"That's a long time," Harry said.

"Yep," Ginny said, "But I expected it."

"Hope you won't be tired on Wednesday, when you come back," Harry said.

"Huh?" Ginny asked, "Oh, yeah, right. Still not going to tell me where you're taking me?"

"Nope," Harry said, grinning.

"Is it because you don't have a place picked out yet?" Ginny asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course I do," Harry said, "And that's all I'll say on the subject."

Ginny laughed. When she had received Harry's letter a week before, telling him that he had to cancel lunch, she expected that he had gone out and found a place that day. Ever since then, she had been attempting to get him to tell her where they were going. In a part of her mind, she didn't want to know where he was taking her, but also it had been a little game between them. Perhaps he would tell her, accidentally or not, perhaps he wouldn't. But that was part of the game.

Harry left for work at eight-o-clock. Ginny took a quick shower and dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. She hadn't received her training outfit or her game outfit, but she expected she would get both today. Half-way through her shower, Ginny had realized that she couldn't take her broom with her during her travel in the Floo Network. She decided to take her purse and put it inside. It was one of those magically-extendable purses that Hermione had given her for the previous Christmas, and her broomstick would fit inside nicely. It would also be protected from the heat inside the Floo tunnels. Ginny was thankful this would be the only time she had to use the Floo Network to go to the camp. She personally hated it.

So at eight-thirty, she walked over to the fireplace. Gwenog had told her in a letter that the keyword to get to the camp was "Harpies Training Camp". She threw some of the green powder inside and said those words quite clearly, then immediately felt her feet lift the ground. She closed her eyes and pressed her arms to her side, holding the purse tightly in one fist.

-------------------------------------

A moment later, her feet touched solid ground. She walked out through the ash and dust, then took her wand from her pocket and cleared up the debris. She quickly realized she was in a building. The walls and low ceiling were stone. The only light was candles on the walls. She was in the middle of wondering just how close she was to the camp, when she heard a voice.

"Miss Weasley!" the voice said.

Ginny turned around. Gwenog Jones was standing under an open archway.

"Gwenog," Ginny said, smiling, "Oh, or should I call you Captain Jones."

"Only on the Pitch," Gwenog said. "Anywhere else and Gwenog is just fine."

"Yes, ma'am," Ginny said.

"And none of this 'ma'am' stuff," Gwenog said, "Makes me feel older than I am."

Ginny grinned.

"I was beginning to wonder just how far I was away from the Pitch," Ginny said.

"Not very far at all," Gwenog said, "In fact... if you look behind you, up those stairs is the Pitch. Behind me is the locker room."

"Wow," Ginny said, "And here I thought I would have to walk a couple miles to get there."

Gwenog chuckled.

"Follow me," she said, "It's time to meet the rest of the team."

"How many returned?" Ginny asked, following Gwenog into the locker room.

"Not very many," Gwenog said, shaking her head, "Besides me, there is the other Chaser, one Beater and our Keeper."

"Ice didn't return?" Ginny asked.

Illiana "Ice" Isaacs, the Harpies Seeker (now former Seeker it seemed), had been one of Ginny's favorite players not just on the team, but in the Quidditch league itself. Ginny had hoped to be able to meet her. Her nickname was Ice because she was cold as ice when it came to playing Quidditch... and just as slick.

"I see you know your Harpies," Gwenog said.

"Yeah," Ginny said.

"Ice was the first to leave when the strike was announced," Gwenog said, "Can't say that wasn't a blow. But our new Seeker and Beater were both discovered by our Scouts, just like you were."

"Where are they from?" Ginny asked.

"Our Beater is from Durmstrang," Gwenog said, "And our Seeker is from Beauxbatons. Good luck trying to get too much English out of the Beater."

"Durmstrang and Beauxbatons?" Ginny asked, "You're kidding. You know what kind of rivalry those two schools have?"

"Yep," Gwenog said, "But we haven't had to pull the new girls apart from a fight yet."

Gwenog chuckled. Ginny followed her until they ended up near a group of ladies. Ginny immediately recognized some of them. Gwenog cleared her throat.

"Ladies!" Gwenog said, clearing her throat.

They turned around.

"This is our newest Chaser," Gwenog said, "Ginny Weasley."

They looked at Ginny, and she blushed.

"I hear you're a big fan of the Harpies, Ginny," one lady said.

"Yeah," Ginny said, "You... you're --"

"Bertha Biggs," Bertha said, standing and holding out a hand, "Beater."

Ginny shook it and winced at the power of her handshake.

"We call her Big Bertha," Gwenog said.

"Yeah," Bertha said, "Cause they know I won't bludge 'em!"

The Keeper snorted. She then stood up.

"Roxy Waters," she said, "Keeper. Don't mind Big Bertha. Her bark is worse than her bite."

Bertha rolled her big brown eyes.

"Chastity Crowe," the woman next to Roxy said, standing up, "I'm your fellow Chaser. Remember my face, 'cause you'll be passing me the Quaffle."

"Nose down, Chase," Gwenog said.

Gwenog then motioned to the girls at the back. They looked no older than Ginny, though one of them looked a lot bigger than her.

"This is Regina Kavoff, the other Beater," Gwenog Jones said, motioning to the bigger of the two, "And our new Seeker is..."

"Liliana De Pierre," the new Seeker said, a French accent pouring from her rosy lips.

Ginny only noticed then that Liliana's hair seemed to fan out behind her. Ginny knew immediately that she had to have some Veela in her.

"You're from Beauxbatons?" Ginny asked her.

"Oui," Liliana said.

"My sister-in-law used to go there," Ginny said, "Fleur Weasley, formerly Fleur Delacour."

"Oui, really?" Liliana said, "My family is friends with ze Delacours."

"Your English is very good," Ginny said, thinking of Fleur's trouble when it came to speaking plain English.

Liliana smiled. Ginny began to wonder if Liliana's veela powers were one of the reasons she made the team.

"As you probably know already, Ginny," Gwenog said, "The Harpies are the only all-female team in the league. We pride ourselves on that."

"Yes," Ginny said, "It's one of the reasons I love the Harpies."

"Well, then," Roxy said, "Then I think you'll be quite welcome on the team."

Ginny grinned.

"All right, ladies!" Gwenog said, "Time to suit up in your training outfits. We officially begin in twenty minutes! Hustle, ladies."

Ginny noticed that Gwenog was already in her training clothes. Gwenog left the locker room, leaving Ginny with the other girls.

"So, Ginny," Roxy said, as Ginny found the locker with her name on it, "Got a guy back home?"

"Yeah," Ginny said.

"What's his name?" Roxy asked.

"Harry Potter," Ginny said.

Chastity scoffed.

"I've heard that one before," she said.

"No joke?" Roxy asked Ginny.

"Nope," Ginny said.

"Harry Potter?" Bertha asked, "The Hero of the Second War?"

"Yeah," Ginny said.

"Wow," Bertha said.

Ginny grinned, though she knew they wouldn't truly believe her until they met him. She changed into her training outfit, and took her broom out of her bag. She walked with the other girls out onto the Pitch. Ginny grinned as she looked around. It was exactly like the Quidditch Pitch at Hogwarts, except for the fact that it was surrounded by a forest.

"Quite a view, eh?" Roxy asked Ginny.

"Yeah," Ginny said, "I suppose those trees are there to hide us?"

"Well, they're not there for the view, are they?" Chastity asked.

"It's just for kicks," Roxy said, narrowing her eyes at Chastity, "The whole Pitch is hidden by magic. Charms and such."

"Anti-Muggle charms, yeah," Ginny said, "Just like the Quidditch World Cup."

"Oh, it's just not to keep the Muggles away," Bertha said, "You wouldn't believe how many spies we've had over the years from other teams. They're jealous of us, I tell ya!"

She laughed, and it almost sounded like a bark.

"All right ladies! Quiet down!" Gwenog commanded, "It's training time!"

Everyone quieted down immediately, Ginny noticed. She had heard that Gwenog Jones had a reputation for getting everyone's attention as quick as a snap. Apparently it was right.

"Since we have three new players on the team," Gwenog said, "We're going do some trials for a little while, just to show everyone how good you play. Weasley and Kavoff. Get in the sky. Waters, get on the southern rings. Chase, assist Weasley. Okay..."

Ginny mounted her broom, as did the other players.

"This is what we're going to do," Gwenog continued. "Weasley, you pass the Quaffle back and forth to Crowe. Chase, let Weasley attempt to score sometimes if she can. This is just practice, remember that."

"Yes, captain," Crowe said, nodding.

"Good," Gwenog said, "Kavoff, you're going to be the only Beater in the sky for now, but there will also only be one Bludger. It will make it harder for you, but it is needed."

Kavoff nodded.

"Get in the skies," Gwenog commanded.

Ginny took to the sky. Gwenog threw the Quaffle to Chase, who caught it and flew into the sky. Kavoff took the bat and flew off toward the northern side of the Pitch. Waters took her position at the southern rings. Gwenog blew her whistle, and Chase quickly passed Ginny the Quaffle. Ginny caught it with ease, even though Chase threw it pretty hard. She flew off toward the rings. A few moments later, she heard a whoosh and flew toward the left. The Bludger flew by, missing her by a couple feet.

"Nice job, Weasley!" Gwenog said, her voice now magnified, "Kavoff, nice hit. Don't try to injure Weasley though! Remember, she's on our side!"

Ginny flew off toward the rings. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chase below her. She passed the Quaffle to her, and followed Chase toward the rings.

"Try a pass-to-pass maneuver," Gwenog ordered, "It might confuse Waters!"

Chase passed the Quaffle back to Ginny, who passed it back.

"There you go!" Gwenog said, "Just like that!"

Chase passed the Quaffle back to Ginny, who was now close to the rings. She then faked a shot toward the left ring, and shot it toward the right. It sailed through!

"Yeah!" Ginny said.

"Nice score, Weasley!" Gwenog said, "Great fake! Don't think Rox saw it coming!"

If she saw it coming or not, Rox didn't answer. She took the Quaffle and passed it back to Ginny, though it was with a little force.

The trials continued until lunchtime. Halfway through the trials, Gwenog let the Snitch and the other Bludger out. The rest of the team took to the sky, and now Ginny was passing to both Chase and Gwenog. Waters caught three of Ginny's attempts at scoring, but Ginny also scored five others and assisted three scores as well.

Lunch, which was chicken and chips, had been brought by Gwenog. During lunch, Gwenog started up a conversation.

"During camp," she said, mainly to Ginny and the other two new players, "We try to create new plays for the team. That way, we don't keep on using the same plays that we used the previous years. I find that it helps a lot. So if you have any special plays that you might have used during your time on your school teams, we'd love to hear them. Anything?"

Ginny immediately raised her hand. Gwenog nodded in her direction.

"The twenty-point play," Ginny said.

"Aha!" Gwenog said, "I thought you might come up with that one. Ladies, I watched Ginny during her time at Hogwarts, and I must say that she impressed me. I'm sure all of you know what she's talking about when it comes to the twenty-point play."

Everyone nodded.

"Yeah, it's pretty common here in the Quidditch League," Roxy said, "A real nuisance for Keepers like me. I've been a victim of them many times. It's hard enough for a Keeper's morale when someone scores on you. Imagine what it's like when they score twenty points in one play."

"It might be common in the Quidditch League," Gwenog said, "But I've rarely seen anyone use it in the school leagues. It's a hard play. Either the Chasers mess it up or the Keeper's quick to the punch and able to grab that second attempt. But Ginny's team was able to make almost all of the twenty-point plays they attempted. I was amazed. Now, when it comes to the Harpies using the twenty-point play? Well, we've never used it before, so it would be a surprise to our opponents. It's just a little difficult in the Quidditch league, even if it is common, as Roxy says."

"It's difficult because it is so common," Ginny said.

"Exactly," Gwenog said, nodding, "Anything else?"

Kavoff and Liliana didn't reply.

"That's okay," Gwenog said, "It is the Chasers that usually make up the plays. But if you do figure out any new ideas, speak up. We'll try anything once."

After lunch, they returned to practice. It was now two Chasers against one: Ginny and Chase against Gwenog. Ginny and Chase would have to try to attempt to score before Gwenog intercepted the Quaffle. The first attempt, Ginny tried to pass the Quaffle to Chase, Gwenog intercepted it. The second attempt, Ginny was able to score straight through the middle ring. The third attempt, Kavoff aimed a Bludger toward Gwenog, and Gwenog had to fly out of the way, letting Ginny and Chase use the pass-to-pass maneuver all the way to the rings where Chase scored an attempt through the left ring. The fourth attempt, Waters caught the Quaffle. Fifth and final attempt, Ginny was able to score through the middle once again.

Chase's turn for lone Chaser came next. Ginny and Gwenog scored four out of five attempts with ease. The other attempt, Gwenog swerved away from a well-placed Bludger from Biggs and dropped the Quaffle, which Chase caught.

Now it was Ginny's turn as lone Chaser. She intercepted three out of five attempts by Gwenog and Chase. On the other two attempts, Gwenog was able to score through the right and left rings respectively.

The last trial of the day was to do some attempts at Ginny's twenty-point play. The first attempt, Ginny and Gwenog used the pass-to-pass maneuver and was at the rings before Roxy knew it. Ginny flew around to the back, and Gwenog scored a goal right through the left ring. Ginny caught it before Roxy could and passed it back to Gwenog. This time, however, Roxy caught Gwenog's shot. The second attempt, Ginny and Chase tried this time to get the twenty point play. Ginny scored the first attempt with ease, and Chase caught it and passed it back to her. Ginny faked a right shot and went for the middle. It sailed through! Two of the other three attempts succeeded, but the last failed when Chase failed to catch the Quaffle after it sailed through for the first score.

"Nice practice today, girls!" Gwenog said, "Hit the showers and you are done for the day! Weasley, see me before you hit the showers."

Ginny landed her broom near Gwenog.

"Yes, captain?" Ginny asked.

"Ginny, you impressed me today," Gwenog said.

"You didn't do too bad yourself," Ginny said.

Gwenog chuckled.

"I think the rest of the team likes you," Gwenog said.

"I don't know about Roxy," Ginny said.

"Oh, that's how she always is," Gwenog said, "She's a little angel on the ground, but once she is guarding those rings, you swear she's liable to become the next Dark Lord."

Ginny grinned.

"It's Chase you have to look out for," Gwenog said, unexpectedly, "Chase is the second best Chaser on the team, behind me. She didn't get that nickname cause her it sounds like her name, you know. Anyway, It was that way even when our other Chaser was on the team. Now she sees that you could become better than her, and she's a little jealous. Happens to the best of us."

"So, basically," Ginny said, "I have a rival on the team."

"You could say that," Gwenog said, chuckling, "I'll keep an eye on her. She won't cross me. She knows me too well. I'll make sure she passes you the Quaffle when she has to, and that she doesn't do it too hard. I noticed she was a little powerful up there."

"Wasn't too bad," Ginny said.

"Either way," Gwenog said, "Next time it could knock the wind out of you. We can't have that."

"So you're just telling me to look out for her," Ginny said.

"Perhaps," Gwenog said, "You never know. Before too long, you and her might be the best of chums. For now, yeah, look out for her."

"I'll keep both eyes open," Ginny said.

"Brilliant," Gwenog said, "Hey. I hear you have a birthday coming up."

"Yep," Ginny said, "Wednesday."

"Well, how about that?" Gwenog said, "You doing anything special. Your boyfriend have anything planned?"

"Dinner somewhere," Ginny said, "Real party isn't until next weekend."

"I tell you what," Gwenog said, "Wednesday, if it looks like you're doing as well as you did today, we'll only practice until lunch."

"You don't have to do that," Ginny said.

"I want to!" Gwenog insisted, "My present to you. It will give you enough time to get ready for your guy."

She winked. Ginny blushed.

"Hit the showers," Gwenog said, patting Ginny on the back, "Great job today."

Ginny grinned and headed for the locker room.

--------------------------------------------------------

After magically transporting her broom and her training and game outfits to her house, Ginny apparated into the back yard of her house. She walked inside and saw Harry sitting on the couch. He was watching the news.

"How was your first day?" he asked her, when she sat down next to him.

"Great," Ginny said, "Though I think I have a rival on the team."

"Uh-oh," Harry said.

"It's nothing," Ginny said, "One of the Chasers is afraid I'll become better than her."

"That's no surprise," Harry said.

"Gwenog's giving me half the day off on Wednesday," Ginny said, "So we can go to dinner earlier than planned."

"Brilliant," Harry said.

Ginny yawned, only realizing then how tired she was.

"You look warn out," Harry said.

"Just tired," Ginny said, "Haven't done that much practicing in... well, I don't think we never did that much practice at Hogwarts."

"That many hours?" Harry said, "No, never. Even Wood wouldn't have done it. Of course, you weren't on the team then."

"I expected it," Ginny said, shrugging, "It isn't like the Hogwarts league. We have at least two games a month."

"Did you ever think when you were younger," Harry said, "That you'd be on a professional Quidditch team."

"I dreamed I would," Ginny said, "I dreamed I'd be flying right by Gwenog Jones, going toward the ring, dodging Bludgers and scoring the game-saving ten points."

"Now you're doing it," Harry said.

"Yep," Ginny said, grinning.

Ginny noticed her eyes droop a little. She was pretty tired.

"You're definitely tired," Harry said, "I think you should get a little shut-eye."

"I don't wanna," Ginny said, in a mock-whine.

"Just a little nap," Harry said, "I'll wake you up when dinner's done."

"I won't be able to sleep tonight if I take a nap," Ginny said.

"You might be surprised," Harry said.

"Fine," Ginny said.

She laid back on the couch and draped her feet over Harry's legs. It took a couple minutes, but she dozed off into darkness. She was woken up by Harry a little under two hours later. Harry had made a pot roast and corn-on-the-cob for dinner.

"Bon appetite, sleepyhead," Harry said, chuckling.

"It'll be your fault when I can't get back to sleep tonight," Ginny said.

Harry only grinned. After dinner, Harry and Ginny cuddled on the couch and watched a movie. It was a movie about a man whose wife and daughter had been kidnapped. It was full of suspense and action. The movie ended with a car chase and the car ended up flying off a dock. The man had to jump in the water to save his wife and kid from drowning. As soon as the credits came up, Ginny was about to fall asleep once again. Harry helped Ginny up to her bedroom, where she fell asleep instantly.

-----------------------------------------

**A/N: Another chapter finished! If you're wondering, all of the Harpies players, besides Ginny and Gwenog, are names I made up. It was easier than I thought it would be.**

Hope you liked it! Ginny's birthday is next! Feedback would be great.


	15. Ginny's Birthday

**Chapter 15  
****Ginny's Birthday**

**(Harry's PoV)**

Harry was worried that Ginny would continue to be tired when she returned from Quidditch training camp, but when she came back from the second day of camp, she didn't seem as tired as she had been the first day. On Wednesday, Ginny's birthday, Harry called the restaurant at a pay phone before he went into work that morning. He made sure that the reservation had been moved to six.

He had reserved a table at the Bon Cherie restaurant in London. Hermione had written him a letter a week before and had told him about the restaurant. It was one of her parents' favorite restaurants, and she said that it wasn't too expensive.

Before Harry left work, he went to the Money Exchange desk in the atrium of the Ministry of Magic, and exchanged some of his coins for Muggle money. He also called the taxi company and asked them to have a car at his house around five-thirty. He figured that would give him and Ginny enough time to get ready, as well as make it to the restaurant in time. Harry then headed home via Floo Network.

When he arrived, Ginny wasn't in the living room, so he wondered if she hadn't arrived home from practice yet. He knocked on Ginny's bedroom door anyway.

"I'm here, Harry," Ginny said, "Just getting ready."

"Taxi will be here around five-thirty," Harry told her.

"All right," Ginny said.

Harry went into his bedroom, and over to the closet. He reached up above to the shelf, and felt around for something. His hands finally found it and he pulled it down. It was a good-sized jewelry box. He opened it up and picked up the small maroon box. He closed the jewelry box, then put it back up in the closet. He opened up the maroon box. Inside was a golden ring with no jewel on it. It was the same ring his father had proposed to his mother with. Harry closed the small box and put it in his pocket. He looked at the mirror that covered half the closet door.

"I'm really going to do this, aren't I?" he whispered to his reflection, gazing at the box-shaped lump in his pocket.

He half-expected his reflection to answer back, but of course it didn't. Harry pulled out a large plastic bag that was hooked onto a hanger in the closet. Like his mother's ring, the tuxedo and dress pants inside the bag had come from his extra vault that was once his parents'. He figured it used to be his father's old suit. Harry had only worn it once to make sure it fit him. It didn't fit perfect the first time, but with a little magic he had been able to fix that.

He changed into the tuxedo and dress pants, putting the small maroon box inside his pants pocket. He made sure the lump wasn't visible and walked back out of his room. He could hear Ginny in her bedroom still. Harry chuckled under his breath, as he walked down to the bottom floor. It was amazing, he thought to himself, how long women took to get ready for stuff as special as this. He sat down on the couch carefully so as not to wrinkle his clothes and turned on the television. The last half of a football game was on. It wasn't England, his favorite team, so he wasn't that interested in it, but he watched it anyway.

Around five, he heard Ginny's bedroom door shut. He turned around, in time to see Ginny walking down the stairs. She was wearing a pink skirt with white button-down top and and heels. Harry was sure hadn't seen this dress before.

"How do I look?" she asked.

"Brilliant," Harry said.

Ginny grinned.

"I bought this dress just today at Madam Malkin's," she said, "She usually gives discounts if it is your birthday, so I thought I'd pick something out there."

"You look... stunning," Harry said.

"You don't look too bad yourself," Ginny said, "Is that your father's old suit?"

"Yeah," Harry said.

"Looks almost new," Ginny said, "Magic probably helped with that. Mum always said it helped with preservation of clothes."

"They don't teach you stuff like that at Hogwarts," Harry said.

"Nope," Ginny said, chuckling.

-------------------------------

At half-past-five, a horn honked indicating the arrival of the taxi. Harry and Ginny stepped into the car.

"Hi," Harry said to the cabbie, "We're headed to --"

"Company told me," the cabbie said, waving his hand dismissively.

"Want me to close my eyes?" Ginny asked Harry, jokingly.

Harry just grinned. Fifteen minutes later, the cab arrived outside the Bon Cherie restaurant. Harry helped Ginny out of the taxi, and Ginny looked up at the sign.

"Bon Cherie," she said, "Never heard of it."

"Hermione suggested it," Harry explained, "It's one of her parents' favorite places."

Harry walked over to the driver-side door and paid the cabbie.

"How long will you be?" the cabbie asked, "I'll come back."

"Maybe a couple of hours," Harry said.

"I'll come back in an hour and a half," the cabbie said.

"Thanks," Harry said.

"Oh, it's my pleasure," the cabbie said, "I do it for a lot of folks. You treat that young lady good, mate."

Harry nodded and the taxi drove away. Harry took Ginny's hand and walked with her into the restaurant. They walked up to the podium, where a man was standing.

"Six-o-clock reservation for Potter and Weasley," Harry said to the man.

"One moment," the man said.

He ran his finger down a piece of paper and smiled.

"Here you are," he said, "Smoking or non-smoking?"

"Non-smoking," Harry said.

"Right this way," the man said.

The man led them toward a table with two seats. In the center of the table were two candles and a small flower basket. The table cloth, chairs and napkins were all maroon.

_Just like the box the ring comes in, _Harry thought as he sat down across from Ginny.

The man set a menu in front of Harry and Ginny.

"My name is Jacques," he said, indicating his name tag, "And I will be your waiter tonight. As you can see we are pretty busy, so if you don't see me, tell another waiter or waitress and they will be glad to assist you. So, first off, what can I get you to drink?"

"Er... iced tea," Harry said, "With lemon."

"And for you, madame?" Jacques asked Ginny.

"Iced tea sounds great," Ginny said, "With lemon as well."

"Of course," Jacques said, "I'll be right back with that. You can take a look at our wonderful menu, as well. I assure you, everything here is c'est magnifique!"

He smiled and walked away. Harry opened his menu and looked at it. Each option came in English, Italian and French. The text at the bottom of the menu read:

_**Ask your waiter about our wonderful specials!**_

A few minutes later, while Harry and Ginny were still looking through the menus, Jacques returned and served the two large glasses of iced tea.

"Would you like to know the specials for this evening?" he asked.

"Sure," Harry said.

"First," Jacques said, "we have ravioli on a bed of linguine. It comes with white-cheese, or marinara sauce. The other special is chicken lasagna. Each special comes with salad and breadsticks. Both are Chez Patric's specialties. I've had them both myself, and they are just... oh!"

He grinned and kissed two fingers. Harry almost chuckled.

"The lasagna sounds wonderful," he said.

"I'll take the ravioli with marinara sauce," Ginny said.

"Wonderful," Jacques said, writing down the orders on a small slip of paper, "It should be ready in about... oh, twenty-five minutes or so. I hope that isn't too long?"

"No, it's great," Harry said.

"I'll bring the salad and breadsticks in just a moment," Jacques said.

He took the menus and walked away.

"Charming waiter," Harry said, chuckling.

"Yes, he's just magnifique," Ginny said, laughing softly, "Harry, this place is wonderful. I didn't imagine anything like this."

"You expected ze Leaky Cauldron?" Harry asked, with a mock-French accent.

"It was on my list," Ginny admitted, "It was where my father took my mother a few times when they were dating, and for some reason it stuck in my mind."

"Yeah, your father told me," Harry said.

He then swore under his breath. Ginny didn't know that Harry had talked to her father recently.

"When did you talk to him?" Ginny asked.

"Oh, just in passing," Harry said, "In the lifts at the Ministry. It was when I told him about the party. We got to talking about your birthday, and he asked me if I had a place to take you for dinner. That was before Hermione told me about this place."

"Oh," Ginny said.

Harry decided the conversation was treading too close to the real reason he had talked to Ginny's father, so he changed the subject quickly.

"So how was camp today?" he asked her.

"Great," Ginny said, "Gwenog surprised me at lunch today. She brought me a small birthday cake in the shape of a Quaffle."

"Wow," Harry said.

"Yeah," Ginny said.

"Have you told them about me?" Harry asked.

"They asked on Monday if I had a boyfriend," Ginny said, "When I told them it was you, they thought I was joking with them."

"That's understandable," Harry said.

"I guess," Ginny said, "So, anyway, what have you been doing with Auror training?"

"Oh, same old, same old," Harry said, "Though I found out today that we're having our first of four training exams next Monday."

"Sounds scary," Ginny said, grinning.

"That's not the worst of it," Harry said, "The first exam isn't too important. It's just to see how we're doing. It's both written and practical. It's the last exam that counts. We don't take that until closer to the end of the year, but apparently at least one of the trainees will be kicked out of the Aurors after that exam."

"Why?" Ginny asked.

"Just how the course goes, Ginny," Harry said, shrugging, "Not everyone is cut out to be an Auror."

"How did Ron react to that?" Ginny asked.

"Oh, you know him," Harry said, "He's always nervous and anxious when it comes to exams."

"Is it something Hermione can help him with?" Ginny asked.

"The written part, perhaps," Harry said. "He can study for that. The practical part is all up to the trainees."

"What's in the written exams?" Ginny asked.

"Procedural stuff, mostly," Harry said, shrugging, "I'll be okay with it."

"So you take one exam each month?" Ginny asked, "I mean there are four of them, and this is August so..."

"Every month except November," Harry said, "Apparently November is when we will be preparing the most. From what the rumors are in the locker rooms, that is when we'll be training away from the Ministry."

"It's amazing you're never that tired when you get home," Ginny said.

"I used to be," Harry said, "One of the things Aurors learn is to save up our energy."

"With magic?" Ginny asked.

"Kind of," Harry said, "It has to do more with the body."

"Could I do it?" Ginny asked, "I could use that for Quidditch."

"Maybe," Harry said, "I'll think about it."

Ginny nodded. She then stood up and told Harry she had to go to the little witches room. She kissed him on the cheek and walked away. Harry's hand brushed over the small maroon box in the pocket of his pants. His throat went a little tight, but it loosened up quickly. He knew this was the perfect time to ask Ginny to marry him. It was her birthday. There was no better day than that. So what was the problem?

Perhaps she would say no. Maybe she wasn't ready to move on to that step. Eighteen was pretty young, even if they had waited for a while, even over a year, to get married. Harry wouldn't blame her. He was only nineteen and it wasn't far off at all from eighteen. What if she said yes? If she did, would she think that Harry wanted to get married sooner rather than later? Maybe it was too soon for Harry to ask. Mr. Weasley seemed okay with it. Enough to accept the whole thing, anyway. So, surely, he thought they were ready for that step. Ron and Hermione were engaged and they were going to wait a while for their wedding day. They seemed perfectly fine with it. Though... Harry knew it seemed silly to judge his and Ginny's relationship on the basis of another.

Then there was another factor. It seemed a little silly to think about at that moment, though it came right to his mind. Harry and Ginny were sleeping in separate bedrooms. If Ginny said yes, would she think it would be okay for them to sleep in the same bed? Would it be okay? The bed was certainly big enough. It would be comfortable. Maybe a little too comfortable. It wasn't the first time it had come to Harry's mind either. When Ginny had fallen asleep on the couch and her legs were over his, Harry had started to think all about it. He had brushed it away from his mind, thinking it was too quick. Now, would it be too quick, if Harry asked Ginny to marry him and she said yes? Would it be okay... even... even if they didn't move to that ultimate step of true love? That thought alone tightened Harry's throat up once again.

Harry's hand, once again, brushed over the maroon box in his pocket, and that seemed to calm his down. It also seemed to strengthen his choice. It was true: the ring was in his pocket, and Harry had gone through all the trouble of getting a reservation at such a nice restaurant. The thought of it being Ginny's birthday came to the front of his mind again, and how perfect of a moment it was. Okay, so he would do it. Yeah... nothing to it, eh? Just ask and...

That thought alone brought up another list of questions. How should he ask her? Get on his knee and just do it? That seemed to be the routine way. Did he want to be routine about it? His whole life had certainly not been routine, even for a wizard. He sighed. Why were there so many questions accompanying the most important one of all?

Ginny returned to the table five minutes later, breaking Harry away from his thoughts.

"Are you okay?" she asked him.

Uh-oh. Did Ginny know what he was planning?

"Sure!" Harry said, a little too quickly, and maybe a little high.

He took a quick sip of his tea.

"I mean, yeah," he said, "Just fine. Perfect. Maybe a little hungry."

He put down his glass, and it accidentally knocked the roll of silverware near him onto the floor. He kneeled down quickly, picking it up, then realized where he was. Fate seemed to have put him exactly where he wanted to be...

------------------------------

**(Ginny's PoV – a few minutes earlier)**

Ginny walked out of the bathroom stall and walked over to the sink. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, adjusting and straightening her skirt. She had bought it for this special occasion, knowing that if Harry liked it, she could keep it for other occasions like this.

Madam Malkin, the seamstress in Diagon Alley, had suggested three dresses for Ginny. One was red, and it mixed horribly with her hair. Madam Malkin thought it looked great, but Ginny didn't like it at all. The next option was a golden dress, and it looked a lot like the dress Ginny wore for Bill and Fleur's wedding. It was beautiful, but it was also the most expensive of the three. The dress she had bought was the last of the three options. It wasn't Madam Malkin's favorite of the three, but Ginny loved it.

She twirled a couple of times in front of the mirror, making sure everything was nice. That everything was perfect.

She wouldn't say it out loud, but in the back of her mind, Ginny thought there may have been another reason, besides it being Ginny's birthday, that Harry had reserved a table at this beautiful, elegant restaurant. A bigger reason. Ginny had expected that it would come before too long. Sure, it made her nervous, but it also made her quite happy. Hermione and Ron were engaged to be married, and both looked as happy as anyone could be. Ginny wanted to be that happy.

It was true: she was extremely happy with Harry. Happy that she was with him, happy that what had originally turned out to be a dream, a school-girl crush, turned out to be real. She was happy that Harry had let her move in with him, and she knew that being close to the training camp was only a small reason he wanted her to move in. She knew he loved her, just as much as she loved him.

Now she wanted more. Though there was another voice in her mind, accompanying the cool, calm, happy voice that told her that one day, one day very soon she was going to get what she had been wanting for a while. These voices, at least to Ginny, had been owned by two figures.

In some book Ginny had read when she was younger – she couldn't remember if it was by Beedle the Bard -- a wizard was mentally stuck between two choices. Right and wrong. Right was in the bodily form of a tiny wizard in white: a good wizard. Wrong was in the form of someone, quite bigger than its counterpart, associated with the Dark Arts. Both appeared to the man on each shoulders, respectively. The wizard named Right (ironically it was standing on the wizard's left shoulder) told the man to do the good thing. In this case it was to help the little girl who was inflicted with a terrible curse. The wizard – actually, Ginny remembered, it was a warlock – named Wrong told the man to be on his way and ignore the girl. In the end, the wizard helped the little girl, and, in return, the parents of the little girl rewarded the man. In another version of the story, the two figures were also named Good and Evil, while in a third version they were named Happy and Sad.

Now Ginny felt like she had those two figures on her shoulders.

One figure, the good wizard, told Ginny that she was going to get what she wanted. That Harry had made sure this night was so special because there was something more on his mind than just celebrating Ginny's eighteenth birthday.

The figure on the opposite shoulder told her that she should just forget it. It was too soon for her to get what she ultimately wanted. That she had been wrong about Harry's choice to let her move into his house. The real reason behind it was what she had told her parents: an easier way to get to the Quidditch camp, and that she should believe that because it was what she told her parents, wasn't it? The figure, which was called Wrong, Evil, or Sad, also reminded Ginny that she was sleeping in the extra bedroom of the house. The bedroom that most people called "the guest bedroom" and that she was just a guest in Harry's house, be it temporary or permanent.

In reality, these figures were just two voices in the back of her mind, fighting an epic battle over which one had the better argument. Ginny stared at her reflection in the mirror, wondering which voice was right. She tore her gaze away, not wanting to think about it anymore, and walked out of the restroom. No matter the outcome, she promised herself that she would be happy anyway. It was her birthday after all. It only came around once a year, and you only had so many. It wasn't something you should waste on petty thoughts... no matter how loud and annoying they were.

Ginny returned to the table. She sat down, and Harry looked as if he was staring out into space. Ginny wondered if, like her, he was listening to voices in his head. Voices which were waging an epic war: their battlefield, Harry's brain.

"Are you okay?" she asked him.

"Sure!" Harry said.

Ginny almost laughed. Harry's voice sounded a little high. He didn't sound okay at all. She watched him take a drink of his iced tea.

"I mean, yeah," he said, "Just fine. Perfect. Maybe a little hungry."

Good enough explanation, of course. Ginny realized that she was also hungry. She was about to turn around and look to see if their waiter, Jacques, was coming with their salads and breadsticks, when she heard a thud. Harry had accidentally knocked his silverware off the table. He went to the ground and picked up the silverware, which were rolled up in a maroon napkin, tied by a small ribbon as green as Harry's eyes. Ginny then realized something that made her heart skip at least two beats. It seemed Harry was kneeling on the floor near her. Could he be...

_Of course not! _Uh-oh. There was that evil, sad, wrong warlock, his eyes gleaming with a red tinge, on her shoulder again. _You know quite well that he had dropped his silverware and was picking them up._

_Maybe that was a trick. _There he was. The good, happy, right wizard with the calming voice. _Maybe it was all part of his plan._

Ginny almost shook herself physically, as if trying to get those two figures away from her. She didn't want to hear those voices in her head. She didn't even want to think about which one was correct. Suddenly, Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out something. Ginny couldn't tell what it was, but knew it was small enough to fit in Harry's closed fist.

_Told you. _There it was again. That voice. Ginny knew, well enough, that it was the voice of Mr. Right. And for some strange reason it sounded a lot like Harry.

-------------------------------------

**(Harry's PoV)**

It was now or never. Had fate played its cards? Was it an accident that he had knocked the silverware off the table? Or was it deliberate? Harry gulped and reached for his pocket, pulled the box out, and held it in his fist. He looked at Ginny, afraid to look anywhere else, because he knew that there might be people staring, interrupting the moment. He finally decided to speak up.

"I have to admit," he said, "I've been thinking about this night for a while. A little over a week would be more accurate to say, I guess. I wanted your birthday to be perfect. I mean, it's not every day that someone turns eighteen. In the Muggle world, eighteen is a pretty important day. I guess you can say it's just as important as the seventeenth birthday in our world, though you aren't usually woken up by an owl delivering a letter from the Ministry saying you are okay to use magic whenever you want."

Harry realized he was jabbering. Strangely enough, it actually made him more calm.

"When we had our little seperation," he said, "I immediately regretted saying those words to you at Albus Dumbledore's funeral. I regretted it up until the day I had you in my arms again."

Harry thought he saw a tear in Ginny's eye.

"I realized then," he continued, "that I didn't want that to ever happen again. I didn't ever want to feel that pain again. I say pain, because it was pain. It was like a monster feasting on my insides. Now I hope that you'll be the knight in one of those fairy tales and slay that monster."

Harry wouldn't have been surprised if Ginny had laughed at him at that moment. That was a little corny, he had to admit it. He decided he just needed to get it out, before the words would stop in his throat and refuse to come out. He unclenched his fist and opened the box, showing Ginny the ring.

"Ginny Molly Weasley," he said, his heart almost leaping into his throat, "Will you marry me?"

"Yes, Harry!" Ginny said in a whisper, "I will."

Harry stood up and hugged her and kissed her. If anyone of the other guests eating at the restaurant reacted, he hadn't noticed. Harry put the ring on her finger. He then kissed her once again and sat back down at his chair. The good news was that his heart wasn't in his throat anymore. Maybe in his stomach now, though.

"This is the best birthday present," Ginny said, looking at her ring, "I could ever ask for."

Harry grinned. Before he could say anymore, Jacques had returned with two salads and a large basket of breadsticks. He told them that their main courses would be ready in about ten minutes. Harry thanked him and Jacques walked off.

He noticed Ginny was still looking at her ring. All the way through dinner, the ride home, and the two hours before he went to bed, he counted at least a dozen times when Ginny would glance at her ring. When he kissed Ginny good night (a kiss that lasted about ten minutes), he had almost invited her to sleep in his bed. He then decided (and he didn't know which part of his conscience voiced this decision) that it wasn't the best time, and that he should wait. If only for a little while.

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**A/N: I had a really fun time writing that chapter. As I was writing it, the part with Ginny's PoV didn't come to me until I actually started writing it. Originally, I was going to have both the private dinner and the birthday party in the same chapter, because I thought it would be pretty short otherwise. But Ginny's PoV helped out a lot. I really liked writing it. I could just imagine the two little figures (sometimes they are also referred to as an angel and a devil) as I wrote them. That was pretty fun. If you are wondering who I thought might have voiced the evil side, I would probably say Voldemort. But that is just me.**

**Also, I don't blame you if you tell me, in your review, that Harry's proposal speech was a little corny. Because I would probably agree with you. **

**Anyway, the party will be next. That chapter might be a little short, but we'll see. Would love to see your feedback. I love it all and it helps me write. Indeed it does!**


	16. It's My Party

**Chapter 16  
****It's My Party**

**Author's Note: During this chapter, in Ginny's PoV, I will still refer to her parents as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.**

**(Ginny's PoV)**Ever since Harry proposed to her, and she said yes, Ginny had found herself glancing at Lily Potter's old ring whenever she had a free moment. When it came to the object itself, the ring wasn't all that special. Anyone who didn't have a precious connection to it could probably tell you that. It was just your normal golden band. There were no markings on the outside of it. There was no jewel encrusted into it, sparkling in the sunlight. The only markings on it were letters that were engraved into the inside of it:

_J.P To L.E.P _

Harry explained to Ginny that he would also put their initials on the other side of the ring when the time came.

One of those moments during each day was when she was laying in bed after waking up from a good night's sleep. She gazed at it while she waited for sleep to completely go away. She rubbed the ring with her finger, as if to examine it. If it was possible, she would have taken a copy of her memory of the proposal and put it into the ring, for later viewing. She never wanted to forget that moment for as long as she lived.

It was strange to think that just minutes before that wonderful event, she was staring at her reflection in the mirror of the restaurant's bathroom, asking herself if the moment was coming and thinking that it wouldn't come that evening and it might not come for quite a while. That moment seemed so far away, as if it had happened years ago. It was as if that moment was on the other side of a large wall. In a sense, it really was that way.

On one side of the wall, there was Ginny: Harry Potter's girlfriend, wishing and dreaming that something wonderful would come her way. On the other side was Ginny: Harry Potter's fiancee, feeling as if she was the happiest girl in the entire world. It seemed as if they were strangers, waving at each other, but not knowing who the other really was. Now the wall had come tumbling down and both embraced each other and it felt as if they had known each other all of their lives.

Ginny cherished the ring and it was one of her most prized possessions. It had once belonged to someone that Harry barely knew, but loved just the same. If something had happened to it, it would be like she had betrayed Harry. In fact, the only time Ginny didn't have it on was when she was playing Quidditch. During that time it was in her locker, safe and sound.

----------------------------------------------

Now it was Saturday, the day of Ginny's birthday party. In about five hours, Ginny's friends and family would be coming over, most of them seeing the house for the first time. Ginny knew that she and Harry would announce their engagement. It had been discussed the previous day. It was too important to be kept a secret. Besides, (and Harry had finally admitted this to her during that same discussion) Hermione and Ginny's father had known about Harry's plans anyway, and she was sure her mother knew about it as well. Harry told her that he had told his plans to Hermione, who had, in return, told him that he needed to speak to Ginny's father and get his permission.

For a little while, after this discussion, Ginny had wondered what it would have been like if her father had rejected Harry's request. Ginny would, of course, have been angry with her father, demanding to know why he had done such a thing and why he didn't trust Harry. She wondered if Harry would have gone through with it anyway, or would have put it off for another day. Of course it had turned out that Ginny's father had given his permission and everything was well.

During her discussion with Harry, they had also both decided that, like Ron and Hermione, they would put off their wedding for a while. They didn't need some celebration and a few words to confirm their love for each other. The wedding could wait, and why not? It wasn't like it would be illegal for Harry and Ginny to live together if they weren't married. Besides, it was almost as if they were already married, just without the celebration, words and official hoo-hah. Though there was still that one little factor...

Ginny was still sleeping in the spare bedroom. She knew (and the very thought made her heart skip a few beats) that, one day, it would become the bedroom of their future children, just as it had been the bedroom of James Potter when he was a child. For now it was Ginny's bedroom. There were times, usually when she was twirling the engagement ring on her finger, when she wondered just how long she would be sleeping in this bedroom. If her mother knew what she was thinking, she would have gone mental, but Ginny couldn't help it. Surely it was okay. in modern society, for a man and woman to sleep in the same bed when they were engaged. So why hadn't the subject been brought up?

There were times when Ginny wanted to bring it up, and she would get a few words out and Harry would change the subject. Of course, in all fairness towards Harry, there were times that Ginny was sure Harry was going to say something and she changed the subject. She also knew there were moments when Harry was standing outside her bedroom (in the nights she could see the shadows of his feet just under the door), and wondered if he was ever going to open the door and invite her to sleep in his bed with him. It hadn't happened yet, though. Though it didn't stop her from hoping. Every time she heard the creaking of Harry's footsteps as they passed her door, she wondered if that was the moment.

Of course, there was also the question regarding whether she would accept that invitation. She could hear her old friends, Right and Wrong, who hadn't shown their ugly faces since the night Harry proposed, arguing about whether she would accept or not. Sure, there was the fact that she really wanted to accept that invitation when it came. But there was also the thought (and the voice behind this thought usually sounded a lot like her mother) saying that she wasn't ready and that she should wait until she was Mrs. Harry Potter. It was what her mother and father had done. Her mother told her that fact all the time, and it had come up more and more during the last few days she had lived at the Burrow. Of course, she knew what her mother had really been thinking, had really been trying to say.

The thought itself made her blush. It wasn't like Ginny couldn't wait to take those steps of ultimate love with Harry. That fact, she was definitely sure of. She could wait, if only because she was a little scared about it. But if she slept in Harry's bed, it wasn't as if it meant they had to do that. Not everyone did. It was more about love and comfort than anything else. Ginny could imagine herself wrapped up in Harry's arms while she slept. She could imagine feeling his warmth, loving it even on the warmest of London nights. The morning after Harry had proposed to her, Ginny had woken up to find that she was cuddling her pillow in her arms. She had had a wonderful dream of Harry and wasn't too surprised to find that she had woken up in that position.

Ginny sat up, yawning and stretching, feeling her muscles wake up with her. She changed out of her pajamas and into clothes that were casual, but good enough for a nice family gathering as well. She walked out of her bedroom and then went downstairs. She found Harry cooking away in the kitchen.

"Good morning," she said.

"Morning," Harry said, though he didn't turn around, "I'm just making a simple breakfast. I'm also making food for the party, and it's taking up most of the kitchen."

He laughed.

"I think I now know how your Mum feels when it comes to big parties," he said.

"Can I help with anything?" Ginny asked.

"I thought you'd never ask," Harry said, grinning.

Breakfast turned out to be French toast. Ginny was beginning on her second piece when Harry tore himself away from cooking and sat down to eat his breakfast.

"There is only one thing I don't want you to help me with," Harry said, "I think you probably know what that is."

"Hmm," Ginny said, as if she was thinking very hard, "My cake?"

"Bingo," Harry said.

Ginny grinned.

"Ares returned about thirty minutes ago," Harry said, "He gobbled up his food and buried his head under his wing."

"That poor owl," Ginny said. "He's been so busy."

"How else was I going to get the invitations out?" Harry asked, "I can only do it by word-of-mouth to so many people."

"How many people did you invite?!" Ginny asked.

"Not too many," Harry said, shrugging, "The last letter Ares brought was from your brother Charlie."

Ginny knew what Harry was going to say before he said it.

"He had to decline," Harry said. "One of the dragons just gave birth last night. I imagine it was quite hectic. But Ares was carrying a small box in his talons, as well as the letter. I'd imagine it is your gift."

"Can I have it?" Ginny asked.

"Not until the party," Harry said.

"Fine," Ginny said, sighing.

"Are you nervous?" Harry asked.

Ginny didn't have to ask what Harry had meant.

"I thought we discussed that yesterday," Ginny said.

"We did," Harry said, "But you might have changed your mind."

"Of course I'm nervous, Harry," Ginny said, "We're going to be announcing our engagement to everyone we know and love."

"You're not regretting that –?" Harry began.

"No!" Ginny said, quickly, "Of course not. Harry, I've never been so happy in my entire life. That doesn't mean that I'm not as nervous as the dickens!"

"It's okay to be nervous," Harry said, "To be honest, I'm surprised I can talk, given the fact that my stomach feels like it is in my throat. It's why I'm doing so much cooking. I'm hoping it will calm my nerves. But it doesn't mean I'm not happy about the whole thing."

Ginny grinned. With her free hand, she reached across the table and covered Harry's free hand.

"Harry, my whole family loves you," she said, "I know you know that. There are times when I'm sure my parents have already accepted you as an honorary Weasley."

"Yeah I know," Harry said, "I'm surprised I don't have red hair because of it."

Ginny laughed. Harry laughed with her.

"There is no need to be nervous about their reaction," Ginny said.

"Then why are you nervous?" Harry asked.

"Now that you mention it," Ginny said, "I don't honestly know. Maybe because speaking about it will make it official. I mean, of course it was official before, but now everyone will know about it. It won't be something only the two of us know."

"Don't forget the two dozen or so guests and employees at the restaurant," Harry said, chortling, "And your team mates."

"Oh, they don't know," Ginny said, "I'm sure they guessed, given the fact that I am wearing a new piece of jewelry, but they haven't said anything. You didn't invite any of them to the party, did you?"

"Well, I did think of inviting Gwenog," Harry said, "But I decided against it."

Ginny nodded.

"Do you know how everyone is getting here?" she asked.

"Now that you mention it, no," Harry said, "Though I'm sure they're all smart enough to not apparate onto our front lawn when it would be in the open view of Muggles. I also made George promise not to bring any of his fireworks. Those things are too magical and our neighbors would definitely notice."

"I could definitely imagine him trying anyway," Ginny said, laughing.

"You're probably right," Harry said, "But we definitely don't need the Ministry invading the party."

Ginny agreed with that.

----------------------------------

It was eleven-thirty when the first guests arrived. Ron and Hermione arrived with Hermione's parents. By this time, Harry and Ginny had prepared most of the food for the party. The cake was in the oven, but Ginny had no idea what it looked like. As promised, Harry prepared that all by himself. Ginny hadn't been near the kitchen since Harry had started on it.

"The presents can just go in my bedroom for now," Harry said, when Ron and Hermione walked in.

Ron and Hermione nodded. Both had gifts in their hands. They walked upstairs as Richard and Helen walked in.

"Oh, the game's on!" Richard said, grinning, "Great!"

Harry and Ginny had been watching the beginning of the England-France game while waiting for their guests.

"Now, Richard," Helen said, "We're here for Ginny's party."

"Oh, it's all right," Harry said, "You're the first to arrive."

Just as he said that, he heard a rumble behind him from the fireplace. Helen gave a cry of surprise when half the living room filled up with soot and ash.

"Mum, it's okay," Hermione said, coming back down the stairs, "Someone's just arriving by the Floo Network remember."

"I don't think I'll ever be used to that," Helen said.

Harry cleared the debris away, and Mrs. Weasley appeared through it.

"Hi, Mum," Ginny said, as her mother walked over to her and hugged her.

A moment later, Mr. Weasley arrived as well.

"Oh, great!" he said, after vanishing the soot and ash, "I was wondering if the Grangers would be here."

"Mum, Dad," Hermione said, "I don't know if you remember meeting Ron and Ginny's parents. It was quite a while ago. This is Arthur and Molly Weasley."

"Pleasure to meet you," Richard said to Mr. Weasley.

A round of handshakes were offered and taken between the four adults.

"Tables are set up in the back if you want to get some fresh air," Harry said, "I'll just wait here for our other guests."

Harry, Ron and Richard stayed in the living room, while Ginny and Hermione escorted Helen and Mrs. Weasley to to the back yard. Ginny's father went upstairs to put the gifts up.

"We got tea and lemonade out here," Ginny said, as she sat down in one of the many chairs on the stone patio.

"So how was your birthday, Ginny?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Oh, wonderful," Ginny said.

She covered her hands casually so they wouldn't see her ring early. She and Harry only wanted to have to announce their engagement once.

"Harry took me to Bon Cherie," she continued, as her father walked outside and took the empty chair near her mother.

"Oh, that place is lovely," Helen said, "Richard and I go there all the time."

"Yes, it was quite nice," Ginny said.

"What did Harry get you for your birthday?" Mr. Weasley asked.

Ginny couldn't help but notice that Hermione was grinning. Had she seen the ring already, or did she just know that Harry had proposed. It was Hermione whom Harry had talked to about it first.

"Oh, nothing really," Ginny said, "I think he was waiting for the party. Besides, the dinner was enough. I was really happy."

The words of her announcement were on the tip of her tongue. Why had she been so nervous about it this morning and now it was like she couldn't wait to reveal it? Ginny wondered if Harry was having this much trouble keeping it secret until the right time came...

-----------------------------------  
**(Harry's PoV)  
**

It turned out that Harry was too focused on the game to have to worry about a conversation.

**  
**"Regan gets out in the open and is the lone man for the English team!" the announcer on the television said, "He's heading for the goal, and only the goalie is in his way of a big score!"

"De Fuente is a big man," Richard said, "They don't call him the French Wall for nothing. Regan's going to have some trouble getting that ball past him."

Harry watched as Regan ran close to the goal and attempted a score. He watched in silence as the ball flew through the air right toward the goal. De Fuente hit the ball with his head, but he didn't hit it right. It went straight into the goal for the score! De Fuente suddenly fell to the ground.

"Score! Sc – oh!!!" the announcer exclaimed, "De Fuente only got a piece of that ball, and it looks like that piece hit him square in the face. That's a mean hit, folks, I hope he is okay."

"That was quite the kick too," Ron said.

"Yeah," Richard said, "Regan's no wimpy kicker, I'll tell you that."

"We're going to have to cut to a commercial break, folks," the announcer said, "It looks like De Fuente may be going into the locker room. The score is England: 2, France: 0. See you on the other side of the break."

"That's why I love the game of football, kids," Richard said, "Never know what is going to happen."

"Quidditch is just as unpredictable," Harry said.

"Yeah," Ron said, "And there are no back-up players either. If someone gets hit by a Bludger, it may be over for them."

"No back-up?" Richard asked, "What if someone gets seriously injured?"

"It's been known to happen," Ron said, "Half the time the team has to forfeit."

"And they let school-kids play it?" Richard asked, "People as young as twelve?"

"Even younger in Harry's case," Ron said, "He was the youngest Seeker at Hogwarts in a century."

"Wow," Richard said.

"Ah, it's nothing," Harry said, "Ginny's the better Quidditch player. I'm better at protecting people, I guess."

"Well," Richard said, "For both the sake of the Muggle world and wizarding world, I hope there isn't another Dark Lord for a long time."

"Hear, hear!" Ron said.

Just as Harry agreed, he heard a cracking sound coming from the back yard, followed by another one, then Mrs. Granger shrieking again. Richard made to get up, but Ron put a hand up.

"It's okay," Ron said, "Someone just apparated into the back yard. I'm sure it just surprised your wife."

"I'll see who it is," Harry said, "Just stay here. It looks like the game is back on anyway."

Harry stood up and walked into the backyard. George and Angelina were walking over to Ginny and the others.

"You had to apparate, didn't you, George?" Mrs. Weasley said, crossly, " You just about gave Helen a heart-attack."

"How was I supposed to know you were all near the apparation point?" George asked.

"It's all right," Helen said, "I'm fine. Only spilled a little of my tea, but it's nothing to cry over."

"There is only a couple more guests coming anyway," Harry said, "And I know they'll be arriving by car."

George went into the house, escaping his mother's gaze, as Angelina sat down near Ginny.

"Put the gifts upstairs in my bedroom," Harry said, as he followed George back inside, "Upstairs and to the right."

He walked back into the living room and rejoined Ron and Richard on the couch.

"Looks like De Fuente may have a concussion," Richard said, "They brought in a new goalie. England's lucky. This new goalie isn't the best in the league, if you get my meaning."

George returned a moment later. He joined Harry, Ron and Richard in the living room. It turned out George knew nothing about football, and Richard explained it to him. The four of them soon got into a deep discussion about football and Quidditch as the game played on.

It turned out the last guests were a few minutes late, by a knock on the door at fifteen after noon announced their arrival. Harry answered the door. It was Bill, Fleur and Victoire; the latter was sound asleep in the baby seat Bill was holding.

Harry heard a sharp ding as he let the new arrivals in and shut the door.

"That's the cake," Harry said.

He told Bill where to put the gifts and walked into the kitchen. He took the cake out of the oven. It looked as good as any cake he had seen over the years. He put it in the fridge to cool and walked to the back yard.

"Could I get some help setting the table?" he asked Ginny and the others.

Ginny, Helen, and Mrs. Weasley all stood up to help. Mr. Weasley and Helen started to set up the two tables.

"Harry," Fleur said, "Where's your bathroom? Looks like Victoire needs a change."

"Upstairs," Harry said, as he followed Ginny toward the kitchen, "First door on the left."

After Helen and Mrs. Weasley walked out with a plate and pot of food each, Ginny kept Harry back.

"So when do you think we should tell them?" Ginny asked in a whisper.

"I don't know," Harry whispered, shrugging, "During dinner? Maybe after?"

"We'll see how things go," Ginny whispered, "To be honest, I'm not really nervous anymore. Are you?"

"Haven't thought about it," Harry whispered, "I'll probably be nervous as it gets closer."

Ginny grinned and kissed Harry on the cheek.

"No peeking in the fridge, birthday girl," Harry said.

"My birthday was three days ago," Ginny said.

"Still your party," Harry said, "No peeking."

Ginny frowned and took a couple of plates and a bag of silverware out to the back. Harry grabbed the last tray of food, as well as the tray of cups. He chose to frost the cake after lunch. Would his and Ginny's engagement be revealed by then, he wondered, as he brought the food out to the backyard.

-------------------------------------

**(Ginny's PoV)**

As lunch started, conversations began all around the table.

"So, George," Ginny said, "Harry and I heard your advertisement on the radio a few days ago. When were you going to tell us about that?"

"There are still things called surprises in this world, sis," George said, grinning, "And that isn't the only surprise. I'm happy to announce that by this time next Saturday, the Diagon Alley branch will be back open to its full potential, with a few new additions, of course. And not just new items, either."

"You've hired some protection?" Mrs. Weasley asked, "Please tell me you have. I don't want to see another repeat of --"

"Relax, Mum," George said, "The two guards that were at the Hogsmeade branch will be working at the local branch now, and two of their friends will be replacing them. All four are retired Aurors and have their own little protection agency."

"Speaking of Aurors," Mr. Weasley said, "Harry, Ron, how is training going?"

"Pretty well," Harry said, "We have our first trial exam Monday."

"Which reminds me, Ron," Hermione said, "You need to do some studying for that tomorrow."

"Yeah, yeah," Ron said.

"How's Quidditch going, Ginny?" George asked.

"Oh, brilliant," Ginny exclaimed, "I'm still kind of tired when I get home at night, but that is to be expected."

"Any rivals?" Ron asked.

"A fellow Chaser," Ginny said, "But it's more jealousy than anything. Yesterday, she intercepted a pass during one of the scoring practices, and Gwenog got pretty mad at her."

"Oh, I almost forgot," Angelina said, "I've been keeping touch with Oliver Wood, and I told him that you got a position on the Harpies. He told me that he was one of the scouts for Puddlemere United, and he was boasting about his team."

"We'll see," Ginny said, "We face them the first week of October."

"That will definitely be your most challenging game," George said.

"Hey!" Ron said, "She plays the Cannons first. That's not going to be easy either."

Ron was surprised when nobody agreed with him. Throughout dinner, Ginny kept glancing at her ring and she was still pretty surprised that nobody had said anything about it. As everyone was getting finished with their meal, and their conversations heightened as they continued, Harry looked at Ginny, who knew what he was silently asking her. She nodded, and then he mouthed something. Ginny understood it as "Do you want to tell them or should I?" Ginny sighed and nodded her way. She then cleared her throat and looked around at her family and friends. At one point, she thought she heard the two small voices in her mind again, but it was just Richard and Ron talking about the football game and wondering who was winning. She stood up and looked around.

"I'd like to say something," she said.

After a moment, everyone went silent.

"First of all," she continued, "I'd like to thank you all for coming to my party. It's just wonderful. Um... as some of you know, Harry took me out to eat for my birthday on Wednesday."

Feeling her throat tighten up a little, she paused and looked at Harry, who nodded.

"As we were waiting for our food," she continued, "I kept wondering what kind of gift Harry might have gotten me. Well, I want to say that he gave me probably the best gift I've ever gotten. Mum, Dad, everyone... Harry and I are engaged to be married!"

She lifted up her hand and wiggled her ring finger. Mrs. Weasley squealed softly behind her hand and stood up. Fortunately she was on Ginny's side of the table, so she didn't have to go very far to hug Ginny, who barely heard the rest of the table giving their congratulations through her happy tears. Her mother let her go and Ginny looked around the table. Ron looked as if he had water in his ears, but he was smiling happily. Hermione had happy tears in her eyes, and George and Mr. Weasley were both patting Harry on the back, and hugging him.

After about five minutes of congratulations, (which consisted of everyone demanding Harry to tell them how he proposed, and Harry obliging) Harry disappeared from Ginny's view. He returned a moment later with a frosted cake. It was sort of like the cake Gwenog had given her. It was a Quaffle, except there was also a large golden ring of frosting around it. Ginny thought this might have been meant to mimic her ring. Everyone around the table, except Ginny, sang a hearty rendition of "Happy Birthday". Afterward, Harry summoned the presents, which flew out of Harry's bedroom window and into a pile on the table.

Ginny started opening them. Harry's present, although Ginny had considered the ring to be better than anything else he could have given her, was a golden charm bracelet. The charms were a heart and a lightning bolt, and Harry told Ginny that there was also a security spell on it. If Ginny was in trouble, and was wearing the bracelet, Harry would feel a magic spark inside, and he could apparate to her position.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley gave her a watch that Mrs. Weasley had worn many times. They also gave her a basket of Mrs. Weasley's homemade goodies. Hermione gave her a bunch of magical items of the woman's variety (she said she found a new store in Diagon Alley that was perfect for it). Ron gave her a new deluxe broom polishing kit that came with a compass as well. George and Angelina gave her a goodie bag of things from the store, which was full of new items ("you got them before they hit the shelves!" George exclaimed). Bill and Fleur gave her a goblin-wrought golden necklace. Mr. and Mrs. Granger gave her a bunch of sugarless sweets and pastries. Charlie's gift, which Ares had brought back, was also a necklace, but this one had a genuine dragon's claw and tooth on it.

Richard, Harry, Ron and George disappeared quickly, and Ginny knew they were watching the end of the game. Ginny, Hermione, Mrs. Weasley, Angelina and Mrs. Granger all cleaned up the plates, while Bill and Mr. Weasley put up the tables. Fleur, once again, had to attend to Victoire. All of the guests stayed for a few hours, having more discussions as the hours passed. Ron and Hermione were the last ones to remain at the house, after promising Hermione's parents that they could get home on their own. As Ginny sorted through her presents in her bedroom, she heard a knock on her door.

"Come in," she said.

The door opened. Hermione walked in. Ginny smiled, and Hermione hugged her.

"Oh, congratulations once again," Hermione said.

"Thanks," Ginny said.

"I saw the ring when I first arrived," Hermione said, "But of course I wasn't going to say anything. I knew it had probably happened, to be honest."

"Yeah," Ginny said, "Harry told me that he talked to you at the beginning of the month."

"It was hard keeping a secret!" Hermione said, grinning, "Especially from Ron. I swear, I thought he had found out somehow. When Harry was talking to your father, Ron almost saw them. I know he would have figured it out then."

"I had a feeling it was coming," Ginny said.

"Did you ever think you'd say no?" Hermione asked.

"Well, there was that little voice in my mind saying I should say no," Ginny said, "That I should wait for a while. But I was ready for it."

"You and Harry are going to wait for a while to get married, right?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Ginny said, "We're fine with it. Besides, something may happen. I mean, you never know... right?"

"Do you think something will happen?" Hermione asked.

"Of course not!" Ginny said, "I'm very happy being with Harry. Why?"

"No reason," Hermione said, "Just the way you said it."

"What about you and Ron?" Ginny asked.

"We're great," Hermione said.

Ginny thought that Hermione was keeping something from her.

"What is it, Hermione?" Ginny asked, "I know there's something. Woman's intuition."

"Ron and I are sleeping in the same bed," Hermione said.

"Really?" Ginny asked, and she heard a tinge of jealousy in her voice, "Since when?"

"Since we first moved in," Hermione said.

"That long?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah," Hermione said, "I couldn't let Ron sleep on the couch. I would have felt bad."

"Yeah," Ginny said, "Have you... you know?"

"Of course not!" Hermione said, "We're definitely waiting for that."

"Wonderful," Ginny said, "Just don't tell me when you start. The last thing I need to hear is --"

She laughed, not being able to say any more.

"Agreed," Hermione said, "You won't hear it from me."

Ginny turned to her bed, and frowned. If Ron and Hermione were sleeping in the same bed, surely it'd be okay for her and Harry --

"Ginny," Hermione said, "I know what you're thinking."

"Hmm?" Ginny asked.

"Call it woman's intuition," Hermione said, echoing Ginny, "You're a little upset that you're still in this bedroom."

"Maybe a little," Ginny said, "But it's okay. I mean, I can see why you and Ron are sharing your bed. It's the only bed there. I have my own bed. It's pretty comfortable."

"Just not comfortable enough," Hermione said.

Ginny sighed and nodded.

"Why don't you just talk to Harry?" Ginny asked.

"No," Ginny said, shaking her head, "It's his decision. Besides..."

She grinned.

"I think he'll ask before too long," Ginny said, "I notice at night, you know. When he stands outside my door. He's debating with himself."

Hermione chuckled.

"That can usually take a long time, you know," she said.

Ginny laughed and nodded.

"Well," Hermione said, "I'll let you finish up. I better make sure Harry and Ron are behaving. I just wanted to congratulate you again."

"Thanks, Hermione," Ginny said.

"Oh, you deserve it," Hermione said.

Ginny grinned. Hermione returned the grin and left the bedroom. Ginny sat on her bed and sighed, looking at her door.

_Staring at the door isn't going to make it any quicker, you know. _There it was again. The voice of Mr. Wrong.

"Shut up," Ginny said, out loud and returned to opening her presents.

------------------------------------  
**Chapter finished! Whew. I'm telling you. I had a tough time figuring out how to announce the engagement. It was more work than I thought. But I think it went well. As for when Ginny will get her next wish granted. Well, you'll just have to wait and see.**

**Next chapter will be the first of Harry and Ron's trial exams.**

Feedback would be great!


	17. Trial Exams and Court Cases

**Chapter 17  
****Trial Exams and Court Cases**

**(Ron's PoV)**

The day after the party, Ron had decided to spend the whole day studying for his trial exam. Although the first of the four trial exams wasn't too important, it would still tell his instructors how well he was doing. So after breakfast, Ron retrieved his Auror trainee notebook from his bedroom and went to the living room.

"I'm going grocery shopping, Ron," Hermione told him, "I'll be back in a couple of hours and I'll help you with your studying then. I better not come back and see you watching some football game or something. If I do, you'll be studying alone."

With that, Hermione apparated with a crack.

"Yes, Mum," Ron said.

He grinned. He knew Hermione would have cursed him if she heard him say that. He looked at the television remote and then to his notebook. He then took a quick glance around the living room.

"Maybe just for a few minutes," he said, "She'll never know. Besides, it's not like I can concentrate right away."

He reached for the remote, and when he touched it, he felt a small shock to his hand. He gasped slightly. Was that something Hermione had done? No. Of course not. He remembered something his father told him when he was younger. Electric objects tended to shock a person. The least dangerous was what his father called a static shock. Yeah, that's all it was.

He reached for the remote once again. Suddenly, the remote rolled away from him and ended up across the table on its back. Stuck to the back of the remote was a small piece of parchment. Ron leaned toward it and read:

_I warned you, Ron.  
_

Ron's eyes went wide, and he quickly started to study his notes. Occasionally, he would look at the remote and wonder if it would do anything else. As he waited for Hermione to return, he studied the hand signals, skipped over the history of the Aurors (he would get Hermione to help him with that), and started on a number of confusing maps.

Each hand signal were depictions of one or two hands, depending on the signal, that moved on the page and formed the appropriate signal, then returned to its original position. Ron went through each, creating the signals with his hand. On the bottom of each page was a single line of text written in bold. It read:

**Practice each hand signal until you can memorize them without looking at the page.**

The only hand signal Ron had trouble with was one that involved going upwards. Ron didn't know what it had meant exactly, wondering if it had something to do with getting on a broom, going up stairs, or just simply standing up from a crouch. The signal required Ron to twist one hand in his other, and with the other hand, he would point up in the sky. When he twisted his hand the way the picture depicted, it hurt his wrist, almost to the breaking point. He gave up, hoping his attempt was fine.

The maps, he found out, were just as hard. At least at first glance. When he read the description of what he needed to do, he found it turned out to be much simpler than he realized. On each map, (each had depicted some kind of single-story building, multi-story building, field, park, forest grove and multiple others; all maps had two copies of each), Ron had to figure out how he would go about taking down an enemy., which was represented in red. On one copy of each map, it was only two people, represented in blue, doing the job. On the second copy, it was four people, split into two teams. As the maps went on, there were more red dots showing up.

Ron was halfway through with the maps when he heard many noises at once behind him. Six large sacks of groceries appeared with six continuous pops. Finally, a cracking sound behind him announced Hermione had returned.

"Welcome back," Ron said.

"How's your studying going?" Hermione asked, as she started putting the groceries away.

"I feel like I'm back at Hogwarts," Ron said.

Hermione chuckled. Ron rolled his eyes.

"Anything I can help with?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Ron said, "During your escapades in the Hogwarts library, did you ever read up on the history of the Aurors."

"Of course," Hermione said, "When Harry first announced that he was wanting to be an Auror, I spent my free time reading all about them."

"That was five years ago, Hermione!" Ron said, with a sigh.

"I think I can manage to remember enough to help you out," Hermione said, and to Ron, she really did sound like his mother, "Unless you think I can't, and just want to do it on your own."

"No, no!" Ron said, quickly, "I think you can remember too."

"I thought so," Hermione said, grinning.

Ron finished up on his maps while Hermione finished putting up the groceries. When Hermione sat down with Ron on the couch, she looked over at the upended remote.

"I'll just pretend I didn't see that," she said.

"Shocking," Ron said, thinking of the spark that hit his hand.

Hermione chuckled. Ron pretended to ignore this, by loudly turning the pages back to the "History of the Aurors" section.

-----------------------------------------------

"All right!" Shippe instructed, "Take a seat. Doesn't matter where you sit."

It was the next morning, and Ron and Harry were sitting in a make-shift classroom. At first, Ron thought he had never seen this room, but then he remembered it was the same room in which he and Harry had been training in the grove of trees a few weeks ago.

"This is the first of four trial exams," Shippe continued, "Now, don't be too concerned. This exam is only a test to see where you are. It's the next three you have to worry about. And with that unhappy note, I'll explain a bit more of what happens today. First, you will be taking the written exam. This shouldn't take too long. You'll be surprised to hear that I was nervous about this part when I was in your position. Though I won't say just how many years ago that was."

He winked and many of the trainees chuckled.

"The second part of your exam, which will take place after lunch," Shippe said, "is your practical exam. There you will be with the trainee who was your partner during your practice trials. Only this time you will go through each trial against actual Aurors."

Many of the trainees groaned. Shippe chuckled. He then raised his wand and suddenly a small stack of parchment appeared in front of each trainee. Ron looked at his. The top read: Auror Trainee Trial Exams One. Another whip of Shippe's wand and four quills and ink appeared.

"You may start... now," Shippe said.

Ron put the top page away. The first exam was the maps. He sighed and looked around quickly, to see if anyone else was nervous. He suddenly wondered how Hermione was doing with her present court case...

--------------------------------  
**(Hermione's PoV)**

About the time Ron and Harry were starting the written portion of their trial exams, Head Judge Herb Morrison was calling in the first defendant of the day. Hermione was seated at her normal place at the end of the Wizengamot's row, a stack of parchment, quills and ink ready for her. The doors of Courtroom Six opened and two men walked in. Hermione recognized one of these men. His name was Calvin Peters, and he was the attorney for defendants who didn't have their own attorney handy. The other man, whom Hermione didn't recognize, was looking quite nervous. Though, Hermione also noticed, he didn't look to be in a bad mood. The man was wearing what her father used to call "a poor man's tuxedo": brown buttoned-down shirt and tie with blue jeans.

"Mr. Peters," Herb said, as the man beside the attorney sat down, "I assume that you are the defendant's attorney because he doesn't have one otherwise?"

"Yes, your Honor," Calvin said, "As is perfectly legal."

As she started writing down her notes, Hermione thought Calvin Peters was definitely the over-defensive type of lawyer. She also knew that Herb Morrison didn't like those types of lawyers. This was going to be interesting.

"Of course it is," Herb said, "The defendant in this matter --"

The man besides Peters stood up quickly, as if his backside had been burned.

"Is Ralph Fetcher," Herb said. "He works in the Department of Misuse of Muggle Artifacts here in the Ministry of Magic, and has been a big name in Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt's thorough investigations."

Hermione's eyes went a little wide, though it wasn't with much surprise. It seemed the Minister's investigations had moved from Mr. Weasley's new office to his old one.

"The Minister's investigations," Herb continued, "have brought up quite some interesting information. Members of the Wizengamot, standing below you today is the brother-in-law of one of the convicted, and now deceased, Death Eaters."

Hermione noticed that Herb hadn't named the Death Eater that was in question.

"Is that illegal?!" Fetcher said, in outrage, "I think not! So my sister married the wrong sort! She's still alive and kicking! She left the man, thank goodness!"

"Your sister may have left her husband," Herb said, taking a piece of parchment from Susan Bones, "But it seems that you had quite the friendship with him, even after she left him."

"We had a few drinks, yes," Fetcher said, "I ask again, is that illegal?"

"And I assume," Herb said, "That during your drinking bouts, you may have gotten a little intoxicated?"

"Perhaps," Fetcher said, shrugging.

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Herb said, "But people, even witches and wizards, under the influence of alcohol, in this case probably Firewhiskey, have been known to have quite some conversations. In this case, Kingsley Shacklebolt discovered enough information that aroused his curiosities. He informed me that the friendship you struck with your wife's ex-husband revealed that you may want some revenge for the death of this man."

"No!" Fetcher said, "That's outrageous! How could you say that?"

"Your honor," Peters said, "I think I would like to hear the evidence that the Minister has given you for this accusation."

"Of course," Herb said, "But, before I oblige, I want to know one thing, Mr. Peters. Were you ever a part of the discussions between Minister Shacklebolt and Mr. Fetcher."

"No," Peters said, "I only met Mr. Peters Saturday."

"And he was interviewed last week, am I right?" Herb asked.

"Yes, your Honor," Peters said, "My client was interviewed on Thursday and imprisoned in one of the temporary cells until he came into this courtroom. The Minister talked to him twice during that time, but I was never present."

"So you didn't realize," Herb said, "That there were others involved in the Minister's interview. Am I right?"

"Mr. Fetcher told me the Minister wasn't alone, yes," Peters said.

"Well," Herb said, "After the last interview, Minister Shacklebolt had this to say. He personally wrote a note and it was given to me for courtroom use."

Susan gave Herb two pieces of parchment, and Herb looked at the top one.

"The Minister said," he continued, "And I quote 'During the period of ten-o-clock in the morning to noon on Friday, the twelfth of August in the year nineteen-ninety-nine, I interviewed one Ralph Artemis Fetcher in an on-going investigation concerning the possibility that some of the Ministry's employees were allies to known Death Eaters. Accompanying me were two Aurors, one who had the wonderful and useful ability of Legilimency. During this interview, the Auror asked Mr. Fetcher about his conversations with his sister's ex-husband, a known Death Eater. The name of this Death Eater will not be revealed, by order from myself, in fear that it may spark public outrage. Mr. Fetcher was able to answer many of the questions, but was unable to cooperate on the most important questions. He couldn't remember, or at least that is what he thought, his conversations with the Death Eater during his bouts of intoxication."

Herb waved his hand, and Susan took the top page away.

"The Minister continues to say," Herb said, "that 'The Auror was able to find some pretty interesting information during his trip into Mr. Fetcher's mind via Legilimency. After thus, Mr. Fetcher was ordered to produce the string of memory for evidence in his court case. I have looked over the memory, and I approve of its use for the case. This should prove to be quite revealing. Salutations, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Minister of Magic.' End quote."

Herb cleared his throat and leaned over to Susan. He whispered something in her ear and Susan nodded. She then stood up and walked down to the court room floor, then out the door.

"Aren't you going to say something?!" Fletcher said to Peters, "Perhaps an... I don't know... an objection to the matter?!"

"Mr. Fetcher," Herb said, "Your attorney knows as well as I do that the Ministry's order cannot be overturned."

Mr. Fetcher looked quite flustered. Herb reached into the pocket of his shirt and pulled out a vial. Hermione could see the silver strand that looked to her like a single piece of hair, but she knew it was a memory.

"My assistant," Herb said, "has gone to get a Pensieve. This Pensieve is rather special. While most witches and wizards who want to view a memory have to usually look right into the bowl, those who use this Pensieve will be able to see a memory as if it was happening right in front of their noses, and they wouldn't have to move an inch. The memory we will use today, Mr. Fetcher, is yours. The same memory the Auror in your interview was able to retrieve. The same memory that the Minister says will be quite revealing."

"Surely you can do something?!" Fetcher asked Peters.

"I can do one of two things," Peters said.

"Which are?!" Fetcher asked.

"One," Peters said, "I could ask you to reveal the contents of the memory yourself, so to avoid this procedure."

"And the other one?" Fetcher asked.

"I could sit back and let things take their course," Peters said, "I'm pretty interested to see what the Wizengamot have to show, if you ask me."

Mr. Fetcher looked down at the floor as if all hope was lost.

"Option two then," Peters said.

Just as he said this, Susan returned to the courtroom. Behind her were two Aurors carrying what looked like a large stone bird-bath. Herb stood up and walked down to the floor. He stood in front of the Pensieve.

"Now," he said, "You will discover that Kingsley has tampered with the memory a little. He has done this to make the identity of the Death Eater anonymous. Are you and your client ready, Mr. Peters?"

Mr. Peters nodded. Herb used his wand to pop the cork of the vial. He then poured the contents into the Pensieve. Herb walked back up the steps and over to Hermione.

"Copy everything down," Herb told her, "No matter what you see or hear. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," Hermione said.

He smiled and pointed his wand at the Pensieve, and muttered a few words. He then returned to his seat. The contents of the Pensieve swirled around and, suddenly, the floor of the courtroom changed. Hermione instantly recognized the room that was appearing in front of her. It was the barroom of the Hog's Head.

_Memory begins..._

_Ralph Fetcher walked into the dim-lighted Hog's Head and sat at one of the dust-covered bar stools._

"Firewhiskey, please," Ralph said, his voice a little shaky.

"_Coming right up," Aberforth said. _

_A door behind Aberforth opened and a man walked out. It's whole figure was blurry, but Ralph looked as if he had instantly recognized the man. The man sat on the bar stool next to Ralph._

"_You came," the man said._

"_Couldn't deny a drink or five," Ralph said, chuckling, "How are you --"_

"Oh! No names!" the man said, shaking a blurry finger at Ralph..

"_Of course," Ralph said._

"_As to how I am," the man said, "Well, not very well."_

"Are you sick?" Ralph asked.

_"No," the man said, "But it doesn't mean I shouldn't start my obituary before too long either."_

"Oh," Ralph said.

"_You know what I am, right?" the man asked._

"_Yeah," Ralph said, "But I won't say anything, you know that."_

"Good," the man said, "It means you can be trustworthy."

"Yes, of course!" Ralph exclaimed.

_Aberforth put two cups of firewhiskey on the bar. Ralph and the blurry man each took one and downed them in one gulp._

"_Does it also mean you'd do anything for me if I asked?" the man said._

"_Er... yeah, of course," Ralph said, "Bartender, two more!"_

"I have a feeling I won't be in this world much longer," the man said, "With my master gone and my colleagues planning who-knows-what, things could get bad."

"No, of course not," Ralph said. "I mean... you could run."

The man lifted a blurry hand and patted his other arm.

"This says I can't," he said, "So this is what I want you to do for me. I'm going to give you a list of names. You will memorize that list. Know it. It's important. You will then destroy the list. Obliterate it. Store it in your memory and put it somewhere even a skilled Legilimens or Veritaserum can't reach."

_Aberforth put two more cups of firewhiskey down. Ralph downed half of his in one gulp._

"How?!" he said, "I can't possibly --"

"I will teach you," the man said, "Let me finish. You will then find the people on this list. You can rest assured that all of them will do what you ask. Which will be exactly what I tell you to ask."

"Which is what?" Ralph asked, downing the rest of the glass of firewhiskey.

"_Well, it's simple," the man said, "Avenge my death, and the deaths of my colleagues."_

"I don't understand," Ralph said, "Why do you think you'll –?"

"Die?" the man said, "I'm sure of it. Now, you won't have to go search for these people until my colleagues and I have passed on. It won't work until then."

"Who are these people?" Ralph asked.

"_They are like you," the man said._

_"Friends of your friends?" Ralph asked._

"_Not just friends," the man said, "They have deep connections. Strong connections. They won't refuse your request even if it kills them in the end. You are like that, right?"  
__  
"Of course," Ralph said, nodding._

"_Prove it," the man said, "Take the Unbreakable vow. Our dear friend, the bartender, will help, I think."_

He raised a blurry hand and produced a wand, then pointed it at Aberforth.

"Imperio!" the man said.

_Aberforth stood up straight._

"_Help me and my charming friend for a moment," the man said, "And get us more drinks! Free of charge, of course!"_

The man laughed, and Ralph also gave a very shaky laugh.

_Memory ends..._

The memory dissolved and the court floor went back to normal. Hermione finished writing what she had seen in the memory, though she did it with shaky hands. She looked down at Mr. Fetcher and his attorney. Mr. Peters looked disgusted with his client.

"Well," Herb said, "I will assume, Mr. Fetcher, that there is no possible way to get that list of names from you?"

"Absurd!" Mr. Fetcher said, "Tampered memory indeed! The whole memory is false if you ask me!"

"Are you saying you don't remember this?" Herb asked.

"I'm saying it never happened!" Mr. Fetcher said, outraged.

"Oh, it happened," Herb said, "You just don't remember it. Possibly because of intoxication, or perhaps your friend, the late Death Eater, made you forget about it."

"P-p-perhaps!" Mr. Fetcher stuttered, "And if I forget that, wouldn't you think I forgot the list of names! So everything is fine!"

"I think not," Herb said. "It is easy to see that, while you won't admit it, you could be quite dangerous to the wizarding world. I only wish that you would have told us if you met with the people on that list, so that we could erase your mistakes."

"There is no list!" Mr. Fetcher exclaimed loudly.

"Okay," Herb said, shrugging, "So be it. Ralph Fetcher, I sentence you to fifteen years in Azkaban prison. Five for aiding and abetting a known Death Eater. And ten, as was requested by the Minister of Magic, to be given to anyone found involved in his investigation. Aurors, please escort Mr. Fetcher to Azkaban."

"No!" Mr. Fetcher said, as he was led, in magical binding, out of the courtroom, "There is no list! I'm innocent! Innocent, you hear!"

"I would have never imagined something like this, your Honor," Mr. Peters said, "Please know that I would never, knowingly, defend anyone connected to a Death Eater. Especially those who have had conversations with them."

"You didn't know what Mr. Fetcher did," Herb said, "So I don't think you have anything to worry about."

"You think there is a list?" Mr. Peters asked.

"Yes," Herb said, "I just hope, for the sake of the wizarding world, that Ralph Fetcher never got around to finding those people."

Hermione silently agreed as she finished up her notes.

---------------------------------------------

**(Ron's PoV)**During lunch at the Leaky Cauldron, in between their written exam and practical exam, Ron and Harry discussed the exams with each other.

"I have to admit," Ron said, after taking a bite of his chicken sandwich, "I never thought there could be anything worse than the exams at Hogwarts. I was wrong."

Harry chuckled.

"The maps and spells were pretty easy," Ron said, "But that thing about the History of the Aurors? Do you honestly think we have to know about their history to become one?"

"I guess so," Harry said, "Didn't Hermione help you with it yesterday?"

"Of course!" Ron said, "Still doesn't mean I didn't do rubbish on it."

"Aw well," Harry said, "We still have the practical exams to do."

"Don't remind me," Ron said, "You heard Shippe. We have to face real Aurors this time."

"Can't be any worse than going against the Death Eaters," Harry said, shrugging.

"Or Voldemort," Ron said.

"Definitely," Harry said.

Ron chuckled and took another bite of his sandwich. After lunch, Ron and Harry returned to the Auror Department. To their surprise, the room that, only an hour ago, was a classroom, now looked the insides of a large warehouse. Boxes stood in rows as high as twenty feet, and Ron guessed they were set up in a maze.

"This room in front of you," Shippe said to the trainees, "has been transformed into a warehouse. Now, do all of you remember the maps section of your written exams?"

Everyone nodded.

"This warehouse is in the same layout as the 'warehouse map' from your exams," Shippe continued, "So you can probably guess what is going to be happening. Two of those maps you worked on will be transformed into a real life, as you see with this warehouse. Now, to the interesting part. Somewhere among those stacks of boxes are two Aurors ready for you. Today they will be acting as the criminals. Now, while most criminals aren't as smart as your everyday Auror, there are some. And, as many of you know, there are a few who are smarter than the Aurors."

"We won't have to face you, will we, Shippe?" Billingsly asked, chuckling to his new training partner, whose name Ron had forgotten.

"Not yet," Shippe said, "But you will before the end of your training. And because of your lip, Billingsly, how about you and Markum venture into the warehouse first?"

Ron grinned when he noticed that Billingsly looked a little downtrodden. Billingsly and Markum walked toward the boxes.

"Remember, boys," Shippe said, "You will be marked on how well you silently converse with your partner. That means sign language. You will also be marked on your use of spells. Good luck."

Shippe raised his wand, and a broomstick flew up from behind one of the trainees and landed in front of Shippe. He mounted the broomstick and flew high above the boxes. Ron and Harry stood and waited for their names to come up while each of the trainees went through their trial exam. Billingsly and Markum were definitely the best of the trainees who had already gone in before Ron and Harry. Billingsly had disarmed both of the Aurors, though Markum's shirt had been scorched by a close spell that had been fired by the last Auror.

"Remember, Harry," Ron said, as he and Harry waited, "No talking. Always use sign language."

"I know, Ron," Harry muttered.

"Well, it was never one of your strong points," Ron said.

"Potter!" Shippe yelled from the sky, "Weasley! Your turn! Get into the warehouse."

As Ron passed the two trainees that had gone before him, he noticed one of them looked dazed, as if he had just been woken up from being Stunned. Harry was standing behind one of the boxes at the entrance, so Ron stood on the other side. Both Ron and Harry took out their wands. Harry pointed to himself, then to his eyes and then around the boxes. Ron nodded. Harry peered around the box and then back to Ron and gave him the thumbs up, then the "follow me" sign.

Ron nodded and followed Harry. Both were crouched along the boxes, though it wasn't too necessary given the height of the boxes. Shippe looked pleased anyway. When Harry and Ron reached the end of the next row, Harry put his hand up to stop Ron. He then peered around the boxes and quickly backed up. He turned back to Ron. He held one finger up, then pointed to the boxes. Ron understood: one of the opponents was behind a box somewhere in the next row. Harry crept along the boxes and turned the corner. Ron followed him. Harry pointed at himself, then to his wand, then to the ground. Then he pointed to Ron and pushed his own hand forward. Ron knew immediately what the first part meant. Harry would cast a spell at the Auror, then duck, leaving Ron to fire a shot off and hopefully disable the Auror. However, Ron didn't know what spell Harry wanted him to use. Pushing his hand forward either meant Repulse or Stun. Repulse would certainly hurt the Auror, but it wouldn't disable him. So Ron decided to stun the opponent... if he could. Ron gave the thumbs up and Harry nodded and walked around the box.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry said, then ducked.

Ron could tell the shot hadn't hit its mark. He bounded forward and aimed his wand, though he didn't see the Auror.

"Stupefy!" Ron yelled, then ducked.

He crossed his fingers and listened. Suddenly he heard a groan and the sound of a body fall over to the ground. Ron grinned, but Harry didn't. He put up his hand and traced the letter F. Ron knew what that meant. Harry thought the Auror had faked being hit. He still might be ready for action. Harry repeated the "follow me" sign and then moved two fingers slowly. Ron nodded and followed Harry along the wall slowly and into the next row. As they inched farther down the row, they came upon the body of the stunned Auror. Ron had hit his mark. Harry repeated the "follow me" sign once again and Ron followed him. They crept along into the next row, but nobody was there. That meant the last Auror was somewhere in the second row. Ron gulped silently. He knew that many of the previous trainees had either been disabled, or almost disabled, by this last Auror. This could prove to be interesting.

Harry used the same line of sign language he had given Ron before their first encounter, then pointed to himself and his wand once again. Ron understood. Harry would fire, then duck, and Ron would do the same. Harry would send another spell and hopefully it would end it. Harry turned the corner and immediately fired down the row. He then ducked.

"Reducto!" Ron exclaimed.

The spell hit a stack of boxes, which fell down into the row. He immediately saw the Auror run out of the way. Harry stood up once again.

"Stupefy!" he exclaimed.

The spell hit the Auror with perfect accuracy, and the man landed in the boxes.

"Winners!" Shippe yelled from the sky, "Potter and Weasley! Nice finish boys!"

Harry and Ron grinned all the way back through the maze and out of it. The next part of the exam transformed the room into a large park, complete with a bathroom, playground, and many trees, shrubs and sidewalks. When everyone got a good look at it, Shippe took out his wand and pointed it at the park. Suddenly, it was surrounded by a large hedge that reminded Ron of the maze in the Triwizard Tournament.

"Just so you won't be eavesdropping on your fellow trainees as they make their way around the park," Shippe said, "Now, this time it will be a little harder. Oh, there will still only be two Aurors you have to find. But you also have to find... this."

Many of the trainees laughed. Shippe was holding a mannequin.

"Somewhere in that park," Shippe said, "My little friend, the mannequin, has found herself trapped by two criminals. She can't go anywhere. She won't dare to go anywhere. Not until you find her. Of course, she won't want to go anywhere even then until the two scary criminals have been disabled. That is your mission. Find and disable the two Aurors and rescue my friend. Potter and Weasley... this time you are first. Oh, and this time you don't have to always use sign language. The park is very large. But be cautious. Also, if my little friend gets hit with a spell, that will make your score drop very far. Lives are at stake. Remember that."

Shippe walked through a small opening of the hedge. A few minutes later, he then flew up into the sky on the broom.

"You may begin," he said, his voice magically enhanced.

Ron followed Harry into the park. Their wands were raised. When they walked in, they took a glance around the park.

"All right," Harry said, "My guess is that one of the Aurors is guarding the hostage. And if I'd have to take a stab at it, I'd say the Auror caught her using the loo."

Ron tried his best not to laugh.

"So where would that put the other one?" he asked, "The playground?"

"That is what he wants us to think," Harry said, "He's out there somewhere. Hiding behind a tree or a hedge. He was making his rounds before we arrived, and I'm sure he saw us."

"Do you think we should split up?" Ron asked.

"No," Harry said, shaking his head, "Follow me. Wand at the ready."

Ron nodded. He followed Harry down a sidewalk that led to the playground.

"Thought you said he wasn't there?" Ron asked Harry.

"He isn't," Harry said, "But look at the playground, then take a look around. What do you see?"

Ron looked at the playground. He then realized what Harry knew. From the playground, they would have a clear view of the whole park. But...

"You realize if we go there," Ron said, "The Auror will see us?"

"He probably sees us right now, Ron," Harry said.

Ron shuddered. He took a quick glance around, looking for any sign of a foot or a wand. He didn't see anything.

"Why doesn't he attack us?" he asked.

"He's probably far away from the bathroom," Harry said, "So he can't warn his friend, and his friend probably wouldn't hear him. Plus he'd be outmatched."

"Right," Ron said.

Ron followed Harry toward the playground. He noticed that Harry was looking around at the slide, the swings, and then the small tunnel.

"Ron," Harry whispered.

"What?" Ron replied.

"I think I might have been wrong," Harry said.

Using sign language, Harry pointed toward the tunnel. Ron grinned and nodded. It would have been a perfect hiding place. Harry then motioned for Ron to go around to the other end.

"And watch out for crossfire," Harry mouthed.

Ron nodded and headed for the far end of the tunnel, praying that his footsteps were silent. Harry counted down with his hand. Three... two... one. Ron looked into the tunnel. The Auror was there.

"Stupefy!" Ron yelled, pointing his wand at the Auror.

The spell missed, and the Auror crawled toward him with impressive speed for a man on his hands and knees. The Auror pointed his wand at Ron.

"Expelliarmus," the Auror yelled.

It missed Ron by inches, though Ron could feel his wand moving a little as if trying to escape his hand. He tightened his grip, and had a spell on the tip of his tongue, when...

"Stupefy!" Harry yelled.

The Auror's eyes went wide and he then fell to the tunnel's stone floor. He was Stunned.

Ron looked at Harry, who gave him the thumbs-up signal. Harry then pointed toward the bathroom. Ron nodded. He followed Harry toward the bathroom in a slow, creeping motion. Had the Auror heard their voices?

"Okay," Harry whispered, as they reached a tree near the bathroom, "We have to disable the Auror before he can hit the hostage."

"Agreed," Ron said, "How?"

"I'm sure the bathroom only has one entrance and exit," Harry said, "and I'm also sure the Auror has full view of it."

"Do you think he's holding the hostage?" Ron asked.

"Only if we're unlucky," Harry said, "So... we're going to do the miss-hit maneuver. Only this time, you're going first. Right?"

"All right," Ron said.

"Also," Harry said, "When you fire off your shot, don't duck. Try to run out of the way, but head for the bathroom stalls. We have to make sure we get to that hostage before the Auror does."

"Just be sure not to miss," Ron said.

"Deal," Harry said, "Come on."

Ron followed Harry toward the bathroom, and walked into a pathway that was mostly surrounded (except for the top) by stone and brick. The door was roughly twelve feet ahead of them, but there was one problem. There was no door. It was only an archway. Harry motioned for Ron to go first. He crept along the wall, his wand out and ready for anything. When he got to the archway, he peered in, saw a shoe, and turned back. Ron nodded to Harry. He then concentrated, a spell on the tip of his tongue. He turned into the archway and pointed his wand straight.

"Stupefy!" he yelled.

The Auror, which he immediately saw, ducked and the spell missed. Ron ran out of the way and pushed his way through the closest door, which led to a toilet. The mannequin wasn't there. Ron cursed silently. He ducked to the floor and looked for the Auror.

"Stupefy!" Harry's voice yelled.

Ron listened for a sound of the Auror falling, but it didn't happen.

"Expelliarmus!" the Auror said.

He saw Harry's feet move and disappear behind the wall. Ron pointed his wand at the Auror's legs.

"Expelliarmus!" Ron said.

He then saw the Auror's wand roll across the floor.

"Stupefy!" Harry yelled.

The spell was so strong that, when it hit the Auror, the man slammed into the sink and mirror and sank to the ground, stunned. Ron stood up. By the time he left the stall, Harry had made his way to the other end of the bathroom. He opened a stall... and pulled out the mannequin. Ron grinned.

"The winners!" Shippe said, somewhere above them, "Potter and Weasley, and they save the hostage uninjured!"

Ron only noticed then that there was no ceiling to the bathroom, so that Shippe could watch what was going on.

Harry and Ron walked out of the park and through the hole in the hedge. Harry was carrying the mannequin with him. The other trainees cheered. Shippe landed on the ground in front of them.

"Potter and Weasley," Shippe said, taking the mannequin from Harry, "Brilliant work. Perfectly done. Hit the showers. That's all for you today!"

Ron and Harry nodded and headed for the locker rooms.

"How did you know that first guy was in the tunnel?" Ron asked, as he and Harry walked down the hall.

"I didn't, really," Harry said, "I just realized we hadn't even seen a trace of him since we got inside. And as I looked at the tunnel, I realized it is where I would have gone."

"Well, you were right," Ron said, "And not just about that, either."

"Oh?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," Ron said, "That practical exam was a lot better than the written one."

Harry grinned and agreed, and Ron followed him into the locker rooms.

--------------------------------------

**Another chapter finished! Well, when I started this chapter, I knew I wanted to have a court case, but I didn't know then how good it would be. It's setting up a storyline that I've had in mind for a while. And it is just getting started.**

As always, would love to see your feedback.


	18. Foreseen and Unforeseen

**Chapter 18  
****Foreseen and Unforeseen**

**(Hermione's PoV)**

Hermione woke up the next morning, and looked at the clock beside the bed. It read 5:50. She glanced over at Ron, who was still asleep. He wouldn't probably wake up for another hour or so. By then, Hermione figured she could have gotten ready for work and started breakfast by then, even if she stayed in bed for a few minutes longer.

She stared at the ceiling, thinking about the court case from the previous day. She knew that once that case had been revealed to the public, thanks to her notes that were in the Daily Prophet, the story would probably be bigger than Rita Skeeter's imprisonment. Head Judge Herb Morrison had realized this as well, as he told Hermione and Susan, when he had invited them for lunch after the case was finished...

_Flashback begins..._

_Tom, the Leaky Cauldron bar man, delivered two butterbeers and a coffee, wrote down what Herb, Hermione and Susan had ordered, and walked back behind the bar. Herb took a small sip of his coffee, smacked his lips in happiness and looked at Hermione._

"_So what did you think of our latest case?" he asked her._

"_It was quite... revealing," Hermione said._

_"That it was," Herb said._

"_Sir?" Hermione said, looking at her unopened bottle of butterbeer, "Have you talked to Minister Shacklebolt since he interviewed Mr. Fetcher?"_

"Nope," Herb said, "His assistant brought the letter to me."

"Oh," Hermione said.

"_I take it you're wondering what he had to say about the memory we witnessed?" Herb asked._

"_I can't say I'm not exactly interested," Hermione said._

_Herb chuckled._

"_I have a feeling you'll find out before too long," he said._

_Hermione looked at him, questioningly._

"The Daily Prophet, Hermione, remember?" Susan whispered to Hermione.

"_Susan is right," Herb said, "I'm sure the Daily Prophet will be questioning him about it."_

"Speaking of that," Hermione said, voicing a thought she had had for a while, "The Daily Prophet still doesn't know who is writing the notes for the court cases, do they?"

"Nope," Herb said, "With Narcissa Malfoy delivering the notes, I don't think you'll have to worry about that. Now, back to the Minister of Magic for a moment. When his secretary gave me that letter, she also gave me another one."

"About the case, sir?" Hermione asked.

"_No," Herb said, shaking his head._

_Hermione looked at Susan. She looked as confused as Hermione was._

"_It seems the Wizengamot is the next target on the Minister's list," Herb said._

_Susan almost choked on her butterbeer._

"But, sir!" she exclaimed, "Surely the Minister doesn't believe there is someone in the Wizengamot with connections to Death Eaters. I mean, each and every member of the Wizengamot were questioned directly by the Minister, before they could even be a part of it. Am I right?"

"All were interviewed before Kingsley Shacklebolt went into office, Susan," Herb said, "Myself and a few others were interviewed by Cornelius Fudge, while the rest were interviewed by the late Rufus Scrimgeour."

"_But you know them well enough," Susan said, "To know that they don't have any of those types of connections. Right?"_

"_I could answer that," Herb said, "But never to the best of my ability. I wouldn't be one-hundred percent positive with my answer."_

"Even if you are a skilled Legilimens?" Hermione asked.

"_Even so," Herb said, and he took another generous sip of his coffee._

_"When is Shacklebolt starting the investigations?" Hermione asked, though she felt she already knew the answer._

"_Tomorrow," Herb said, with a sigh, "And he will continue those investigations over the next few days, up until lunchtime each day. We will only have one court case a day, in the afternoons, until the Minister is done with his investigations."_

"What is your opinion of this?" Susan asked.

"_If you asked me that before the case today, I would have told you that I am a little peeved with it, Susan," Herb asked, "But after listening to the case today, I will say that the Minister of Magic could investigate only the Wizengamot for a year, and I would have no objections. I would be ashamed if any of my colleagues turned out to have connections with Death Eaters, or knew anyone, on a personal level, who had connections. Especially when we now know there are enough names to fill a list."_

_His expression went grave, and Hermione wondered what Herb was thinking. She shrugged it away and finally opened her butterbeer and took a long swig._

_Flashback ends_

As Hermione lay in bed, she wondered if Herb was holding anything back from her and Susan yesterday. Even Susan had been surprised to hear that Kingsley Shacklebolt was turning his investigations to the Wizengamot, and as far as Hermione knew, Herb told his assistant anything that had to do with work. She didn't want to admit it, even to herself, but in the back of her mind, she wondered if Herb could possibly have any connections to Death Eaters, however small they may be. If so, the repercussions for that would be large.

Head Judge Herb Morrison was reputed to be the best in his job, and there were rumors that, when Amelia Bones was alive, he could have replaced her in a heartbeat. He was well-respected among his peers, and even the Daily Prophet, who followed the Wizengamot like hounds to a fox, seemed to fear him and would dare not cross him even with their right to publish whatever they wanted.

To Hermione's right, Ron emitted a loud snore, and it broke her from her thoughts. She remembered discussing the court case with Ron. How she couldn't wait to reveal it to someone close to her. Of course, Ron had been excited as well, and Hermione had almost forgotten all about Ron's trial exams. After Ron told her all about the written and practical exams with excruciating detail, Hermione told him about the court case. She remembered his reaction as if he had been telling her just that moment...

_Flashback begins_

"_So it looks like this could be the start of the Third War, you think?" Ron asked Hermione after she finished with her story._

_Ron was still in shock. His excitement of how well he had done with his exams seemed so distant now._

_"I won't go that far," Hermione said, "But it seems the wizarding world may have something really bad on its hands now."_

"And this Fetcher guy," Ron said, "He refused to give the list of names?"

"He kept saying that there was no list," Hermione said.

"_You don't believe him, though," Ron said._

"_No," Hermione said, shaking her head, "And neither does Herb."_

"And you couldn't see who Fetcher was talking to?" Ron asked.

"_He was completely blocked from view," Hermione said, "It was like looking at someone from behind a shower door. Everything was distorted and blurry."_

"But you said that that was all done by Kingsley," Ron said, "Not by Fetcher himself?"

"Correct," Hermione said.

_  
"So Shacklebolt knows who he is?" Ron asked._

"_Also correct," Hermione said, "But he probably won't give the name up. He doesn't want the public to react harshly. Doesn't matter anyway. The Death Eater is probably dead."_

"_So what is the matter?" Ron asked, "If the Death Eater's dead, and Fetcher's beginning a long stay at Azkaban..."_

"I told you, Ron," Hermione said, "Herb thinks Fetcher probably found everyone on the list by now. Fetcher's probably only the messenger anyway. They wouldn't have let him have too much important information, especially since he worked in the Ministry."

"_Perhaps Kingsley thinks there is a possibility," Ron said, "that a few names from that list are working in the Ministry."_

"It's what I'd believe if I was in his shoes," Hermione said, "The question is... what are these people planning?"

"We know it's about revenge, right?" Ron asked.

"_Yep," Hermione said, nodding._

"_So they would want to avenge the people behind the Death Eater's deaths," Ron said, "Most of whom are in the Ministry."_

"They wouldn't attack the Ministry," Hermione said, "It's already been attempted and failed."

"Then what could they be planning?" Ron asked.

"_That, as the saying goes," Hermione said, "is a good question."__Flashback ends_

Suddenly, six long bongs from Big Ben, London's famous clock tower, broke Hermione from her thoughts. Six-o-clock. Another long snore from Ron told Hermione that her fiancee was still asleep. Not even Big Ben could wake him. Hermione got up from her bed and started to get ready for work.

_-----------------------------  
_As Hermione was halfway done with preparing breakfast, she heard an owl's long hoot. She looked out the window that stood over the sink. It was a Ministry owl delivering the morning's Daily Prophet. The owl landed on the windowsill, and Hermione opened the window. The owl flew in and dropped the newspaper on the kitchen table, then perched himself on a chair. Hermione inserted a Sickle into the owl's coin-pouch, and the owl flew back out the window. She pointed her wand at the pan that was frying the eggs, and muttered a couple words. The spatula and pan started moving on their own. Hermione sat down and picked up the newspaper. Large bold letters on the front page read:

**WIZENGAMOT'S LATEST CASE REVEALS AN INTERESTING  
****TWIST ON THE MINISTER OF MAGIC'S INVESTIGATION**

Hermione started to read the article:_  
_

**On Monday, in Courtroom Six, the Wizengamot  
****were up bright and early with their first case.  
Ralph Fetcher, a resident of Surrey, who worked  
****in the Department of Misuse of Muggle Artifacts  
****was called to present his defense in front of,  
****what was reported to be, the entire Wizengamot.**

**There, it was revealed that Fetcher's sister, who  
****was not present in the Courtroom, and has refused  
****to speak with the Daily Prophet, was once married  
****to a Death Eater, though the two had been long  
****separated. It is unknown where Fetcher's sister  
****will be questioned by the Ministry. It was also  
****revealed that Mr. Fetcher had been in contact  
****with his sister's ex-husband. The Minister of  
****Magic has refused to identify the Death Eater.**

**During the case, it was revealed that the Minister  
****of Magic had questioned Fetcher twice which led  
****Fetcher to be temporarily imprisoned at the Ministry  
****until his hearing. It was also revealed, that an Auror  
****who was skilled in Legilimens, was also present  
****for questioning. The Auror was able to find one  
****particularly interesting memory in Fetcher's mind  
****that hadn't been revealed to the Minister. This  
****memory was then given to the Minister of  
****Magic, and when he looked at it, he gave it to  
****the Wizengamot as evidence in Fetcher's case.**

**In the memory, Fetcher met with the Death Eater  
****who will not be named. The Death Eater's identity  
****was blurred out even from the Wizengamot. The  
****Minister had edited this memory so the Death  
****Eater wouldn't be revealed. Fetcher and the  
****Death Eater started discussing the latter's  
****possible impending death. The Death Eater told  
****Fetcher that he would be given a list of names that  
****Fetcher had to track down. The reason behind this:  
those people would be greatly affected if the Death  
****Eaters were killed. The Death Eater believed  
****that those people would want their revenge for  
****the Death Eaters' demise. It was also revealed  
****that Fetcher and the Death Eater finished  
****the conversation with the Unbreakable Vow.**

**When asked by the Wizengamot for the list, Fetcher  
****denied having any knowledge about this list. Head  
****Judge Herb Morrison didn't believe him. He sentenced  
****Fetcher to fifteen years in Azkaban.**

Below this article was another one which was just as interesting. Hermione read the header:

**LATEST RESULTS FROM MINISTER OF MAGIC'S  
****INVESTIGATION COULD FORETELL A POSSIBLE ATTACK**

Hermione wasn't surprised. It was the same exact thing that she and Ron had been discussing the previous evening. She started reading the article:

**  
With the astounding new evidence in the Minister  
****of Magic's on-going investigation, it won't be a  
****surprise if the Minister puts the wizarding world  
****on high-alert. **

**Although neither the Minister, nor the  
****Wizengamot, were successful in retrieving the  
****important information from Ralph Fetcher, it is  
****still believed that the contents of the list given  
****to Mr. Fetcher by an unknown Death Eater could  
****be anything but good news for the wizarding world.**

**With revenge on the minds of unknown, possibly  
****countless, witches and wizards, it is to be believed  
****that new sparks of violence could be seen before long.**

**The question on the Ministry's mind: when? And  
****where will these attacks take place? Unfortunately,  
****it looks as if an attack could happen before the Ministry  
****has enough information to stop it. **

**Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt had this  
****to say on the matter:****asked him about an attack, sparking news  
****of this evidence, "But that does not mean  
****the Ministry isn't ready for it. As for the public,  
****if there are riots in result to this information,  
****all suspects of these riots will be sent  
****directly in front of the Wizengamot, with  
****a possibility of time in Azkaban."**

"It is unknown whether an attack is imminent,"  
Shacklebolt said, when the Daily Prophet

**When asked where the Minister's next point  
****of investigation was going to be, Shacklebolt  
****declined to answer.**

_You could have asked me, _Hermione thought, then remembered she didn't want anything to do with the contents of the Daily Prophet, other than her annonymous notes.

The bacon in the pan next to the eggs sizzled and Hermione closed the Daily Prophet and returned to preparing breakfast. A moment later, Ron walked into the kitchen. He walked over to Hermione and kissed her on the cheek, then sat down at the table.

"Your notes in the Prophet again?" he asked, glancing at the newspaper.

"Of course," Hermione said, "They wouldn't pass that one by."

"Oh, right," Ron said, as if he had only just remembered what Hermione had told him the night before.

Hermione heard the sound of the newspaper being opened behind her.

"Well, at least they aren't denying a possible attack," Ron said.

"Nope," Hermione said.

"It's what Fudge and Scrimgeour would have done," Ron said, "At least Kingsley's different."

"Yeah," Hermione said.

_Yeah, _Hermione thought,_ enough to include the Wizengamot, the most trusted group of witches and wizards in the Ministry, in the investigation. _

"Are you okay, Hermione?" Ron asked, "You're kind of quiet."

"Just tired," Hermione lied.

"No," Ron said, "It's something else. Something you haven't told me."

Hermione sighed. She delayed response by serving the bacon and eggs onto two plates and taking them over to the table.

"What is it, Hermione?" Ron asked, "You can tell me."

Hermione frowned. It looked like even breakfast wasn't going to stop Ron from wanting to know why Hermione was so silent.

"You know these investigations Kingsley is conducting?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, of course," Ron said, glancing quickly at the Daily Prophet.

"The Wizengamot is next," Hermione said.

"What do you mean?" Ron asked.

"Just that!" Hermione said, "Morrison told me that Kingsley's turned his investigation to the Wizengamot."

"Oh," Ron said, "Hermione, if you're worried that Kingsley is going to ask you questions, you shouldn't be. You have no connections to Death Eaters, and Kingsley knows that. He knows you too, remember?"

"I'm not worried about me, Ron," Hermione said, "What if one of the Wizengamot has something to hide? What if it's Head Judge Morrison who has something to hide? He's one of the most respected wizards in the Ministry. I just can't imagine if --"

Ron put a hand on one of hers, which was resting on the table.

"I don't think you have anything to worry about," Ron said, "If Morrison is like you say he is, then I bet he will be the least of Kingsley's worries."

Hermione gave him a reassuring smile, but she was still worried. It was woman's intuition, like she had told Ginny. This time, it was working overtime in her mind.

--------------------------------

With a ding, the lifts opened, and Hermione walked out onto the bottom floor of the Ministry of Magic. Susan Bones was standing by the wall outside of Courtroom Two. She put a finger to her lips and motioned Hermione over.

"Where's Herb?" Hermione whispered.

Susan nodded toward the courtroom in front of her.

"Is he talking to the Minister?" Hermione asked.

"Nope," Susan said, "He hasn't arrived yet. Guess again."

"The Daily Prophet," Hermione said.

"Bingo," Susan said.

The doors of Courtroom Two opened. Herb walked out surrounded by reporters and camera men.

"Has Ralph Fetcher revealed any more information about the list?" one reporter asked.

"Mr. Fetcher hasn't said a word since he arrived in Azkaban," Herb said.

"Do you know the identity of the Death Eater Ralph Fetcher talked to at the bar called the Hog's Head?" a second reporter asked.

"No," Herb said, "But the Minister of Magic does."

The doors to the lifts opened. Kingsley Shacklebolt walked out.

"In fact, there he is," Herb said, "Why don't you ask him?"

The reporters all walked over to the Minister, followed by their bumbling camera men.

"Minister!" one reporter said.

"Minister Shacklebolt," a second reporter said, "What is the --"

"Those camera's flashes are quite blinding, I tell you," Herb said, "You know, Hermione. I don't blame you for wanting to avoid --"

He nodded to the reporters. Hermione grinned.

"That's all I will say, folks," Kingsley said, "No. No more. I'm quite busy right now."

He pushed his way through the reporters and walked over to Hermione, Herb and Susan.

"Excellent," he said, "Just the person I want to talk to."

Herb nodded, as if expecting it would be him.

"Miss Granger," Kingsley continued, "Can you follow me into Courtroom Two?"

Hermione nodded timidly.

"Judge Morrison," Kingsley said, "When the rest of the Wizengamot come down, please ask them to wait until I call them in."

"Of course, Minister," Herb said.

Hermione followed Kingsley into the Courtroom. It was ironic that he had brought her in this room. She felt like one of the many defendants she had written about over the past couple of weeks.

"Before we begin, Miss Granger," Kingsley said, "I want to assure you that you have nothing to fear. I know for a fact that you have no connections to Death Eaters."

"Yes, sir," Hermione said, "And please call me Hermione. We've known each other long before you became Minister."

Kingsley smiled.

"Of course," he said, "Actually that is what I was trying to get at. We have known each other since you stayed at Number 12 Grimmauld Place when I was a part of the Order of the Phoenix. I was hoping that little detail would help me with something."

"Sure," Hermione said.

"As you know," Kingsley said, "I have quite the task ahead of me. I was hoping you'd help me a bit with it. I know you've only worked here for a couple of weeks, but I was wondering if you might have heard things. Things that the members of the Wizengamot might have said to you, or their colleagues. Anything would be helpful. Even if, at the time, it seemed small, it might be helpful now."

"I don't think I know exactly what you are getting at," Hermione said, although she was more than sure of it.

"Oh, anything that might have raised your suspicions," Kingsley said, "Perhaps made the hairs on the back of your arms and neck raise. Particularly about Death Eaters, or connections to them."

"Sir," Hermione said, "The only thing I've heard concerning Death Eaters since I started this job, is what I've heard from the defendants of the cases I've written notes about."

"Nothing from your colleagues?" Kingsley asked.

"No," Hermione said, shaking her head, "And I'm not sticking up for them either. I witnessed Ralph Fetcher's memory scene, and I assure you, Minister, if there was something that could help you, I would tell you. I'm just as worried as you are about the contents of that list, and how many people Mr. Fetcher met before you interrogated him."

Kingsley stared at her for a moment. He then smiled and nodded.

"Thank you, Hermione," Kingsley said, "That's all I needed to hear. You may go."

Hermione nodded and walked toward the door. She stopped a couple feet from the door and turned around.

"Minister?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, Hermione?" Kingsley asked.

"Do you suspect Judge Morrison of anything?" Hermione said.

"Not yet," Kingsley said.

Hermione frowned. To her, "not yet" sounded a lot like "yes".

"In fact, I'll be more assured of my answer when I speak to him," Kingsley said, "Can you send him in, please?"

Hermione nodded. She walked out of the courtroom and over to Susan and Herb. She noticed that more Wizengamot members had arrived.

"Kingsley wants to see you, next, Herb," Hermione said, trying to keep the worry away from her voice.

Herb smiled and walked past her and into the courtroom. Susan looked at her.

"What did he ask you?" she asked her.

Hermione wondered if she should lie or not.

"Nothing, really," Hermione said, shrugging, "He asked me if I had any connections to Death Eaters. I said no, and he seemed happy with that answer."

"That's all?" Susan asked.

"Yeah," Hermione said.

"Wow," Susan said, "I just expected more, I guess. I mean, everything we've heard about the investigation makes you think that the Minister's really laying the questions down thick with everyone he talks to. Doesn't it seem that way to you?"

"I guess so," Hermione said.

"I guess he really trusts you," Susan said, "I mean, I'm not saying he should. It's clear you have nothing to be worry about."

Hermione nodded, but she frowned as she looked at the courtroom door. Susan was wrong. She had a lot to worry about. And every bit of it had to do with what was happening behind those closed doors.

-----------------------------------

Thirty minutes passed by and Herb still hadn't walked out of the courtroom. Though, ten minutes after Herb had walked in, two Aurors walked out of the lifts and into Courtroom two.

"That was Alex Macaulay," Susan said.

"Who?" Hermione asked.

"The same Legilimens who had discovered Ralph Fetcher's hidden secret," Susan said, "What could the Minister want with him?"

"You don't think it has anything to do with Herb?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know," Susan said, "But I have a strange feeling it does."

Hermione didn't need to ask where that feeling came from. She knew what it was: good ol' woman's intuition, sometimes more powerful than magic itself.

Another twenty minutes passed by, totaling nearly an hour since Herb had walked into the courtroom. Hermione and Susan were now sitting against the wall, staring at the door.

"What I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall in there," a Wizengamot member, a woman, on the other side of Susan said.

"I agree with you, Bea," Susan said, "What is taking them so –?"

Before she could finish, the courtroom doors opened. Herb walked out followed by the Minister. Hermione looked at Herb, hoping to ask how the whole thing went, but there was no expression on the Judge's face. He walked over to where Hermione and Susan were standing, then looked at Bea.

"You're next, Bea," he said, then looked at Hermione, "Hermione, it doesn't look like there is going to be a case today. You can go home early."

"What happened in there?" Susan asked.

"I've been asked not to talk about it," Herb said, "The only thing I can say is that Kingsley wants to see me again later today."

Susan looked at Hermione. Hermione could tell that Susan looked really worried. She didn't blame her.

---------------------------  
At home, Hermione spent most of the day watching TV while she waited for Ron to get off work. It was the only thing that kept her mind off the morning's events. She wondered if she would hear anything before the day was through, but nothing had come when Hermione and Ron sat down for dinner: pork ribs and Orzo pasta.

"You're still not worrying about that discussion you had with Kingsley, are you?" Ron asked her.

Hermione shrugged, sliding her fork through her helping of pasta.

"You told me he didn't suspect you of anything," Ron said.

"He didn't," Hermione said, "He practically asked me if I was spying on the Wizengamot. You know what that means, right? He suspects something."

"Come, now," Ron said, "The Wizengamot?"

"Yes, Ron!" Hermione said, a little louder than she wanted to be, "If Kingsley didn't suspect anything, why do you think he's conducting these investigations?"

"Because if he didn't," Ron said, "the public, not to mention the Daily Prophet, would want to know why."

"No," Hermione said, "I don't believe that. Something's up. I know it."

Suddenly, there was a tapping noise on the kitchen window. Hermione turned around.

"It's a Ministry owl," Hermione said, standing up.

"We don't get the Evening Prophet, do we?" Ron asked.

Hermione shook her head, walked over to the window and opened it. The owl had a small piece of parchment in it's mouth. He dropped it into Hermione's open hand and flew off.

"Who's it from?" Ron asked.

Hermione shrugged and read the piece of parchment:

_Hermione,_

_I thought I'd tell you before you found out in the Daily Prophet. Herb's been arrested. All court cases have been cancelled for tomorrow. No need to come in._

Susan

_------------------------------_

**Cliffhanger! Whew, well I didn't think of this new twist until I started on this chapter. What repercussions will happen in light of it? Is the Head Judge really connected to Death Eaters? You'll find that out very soon!**

**Feedback would be welcomed.**


	19. The Art of Occlumency

**Chapter 19  
****The Art of Occlumency**

Hermione went to bed that night without dinner. Her stomach hurt so bad from the news about Herb's arrest, and she felt that if she had eaten anything, it would probably have come back up. By the time Ron had come in for bed, Hermione was still awake.

"I put your leftovers in the fridge," Ron said, as he climbed into bed, "Since you're staying home tomorrow, I figured you needed something for lunch."

Hermione nodded and gave a weak smile.

"Still thinking about Morrison?" Ron asked.

Hermione nodded again. Ron sighed and moved closer to Hermione. She felt him take her hand in his. His thumb rubbed across the top of it, soothingly.

"I think Morrison will be fine," he said.

"No, he won't," Hermione said, "It isn't some misdemeanor, Ron. He's been arrested because he has connections to Death Eaters."

"Maybe Kingsley's wrong," Ron said.

"I don't know," Hermione said, "Did Kingsley ever seem to you like the type of guy to make those kind of mistakes?"

"Not really," Ron said, shaking his head.

Hermione frowned.

"That's not helping much, is it?" Ron asked.

Hermione shook her head. Ron moved closer to her and cuddled up against her, his arms around her stomach.

"Is this helping?" he asked.

"Maybe a little," Hermione said, smiling.

Ron chuckled.

"You know," he said, "You could still go to the Ministry tomorrow. I imagine if Morrison's being held in the Ministry, it's in the holding cells in the Auror Headquarters."

"The holding cells are down near the courtrooms," Hermione said.

"Not all of them," Ron said, shaking his head, "There are still some in the Auror Headquarters, reserved for the more important prisoners. I'm sure if Morrison is anywhere in the Ministry, he'll be in there."

"I can't go," Hermione said. "I'm sure Herb will spend most of the day being interrogated by Kingsley and the Aurors."

"All right," Ron said, "It was only an idea."

"Oh, it's a good idea," Hermione said, "I mean, I'd really like to speak to him. We've bonded quite well since I started working for him. But I don't think I'll get a chance."

Hermione figured the next time she'd see Herb, it would be in one of the courtrooms. Only this time, he'd be the defendant, and another judge would be at the head of the Wizengamot.

"Okay," Ron said, "You should probably stay home tomorrow anyway. You've been working quite hard since you got that job. You deserve a break."

Hermione nodded, giving another weak smile. Ron leaned toward Hermione and kissed her forehead. Hermione then kissed him on the lips, and Ron returned the kiss, deepening it. Hermione could feel his tongue against hers. She cuddled closer to him, still embraced in his kiss and, for the moment at least, she had forgotten all about Herb's arrest.

-----------------------------

When Hermione woke up the next morning, she found she was alone in bed. She took a quick glance at the alarm clock. Nine-fifteen. Ron would be at work already. Hermione sat up, and she saw a small piece of parchment laying on Ron's pillow. She picked it up and read it:

_Hermione,_

_You were still asleep when it was time for me to leave, so I put breakfast in the fridge for you. Coffee is in the pot as well, just needs to be warmed up. The Daily Prophet is on the kitchen table, as well as another letter addressed to you. Don't know who it is from. See you when I get home._

Love,

_Ron_

_P.S. Don't worry too much about Judge Morrison. I'm sure he'll be fine._

Hermione got out of bed and headed for the bathroom. She paused for a moment in the doorway. She didn't need to go anywhere today, so she didn't have to rush things. She decided she would take a long, hot bath after breakfast, then headed for the kitchen. As Ron had said, the Daily Prophet was laying on the table. A rolled up piece of parchment was sitting on top of it. Hermione went over to the fridge. A large sausage and cheese omelette was on a plate on the top shelf. Hermione took it out and put it in the microwave and set the timer. She then walked over to the table and sat down. Deciding to read the Daily Prophet first, she set the piece of parchment aside. She found what she was looking for on the front page.

"Of course," Hermione said, to herself, "Nothing could be bigger news than this."

She read the headline:

**HERB MORRISON ARRESTED!!!  
POSSIBLE CONNECTIONS TO DEATH EATERS?**

Hermione sighed and started on the article:

**Wizengamot Head Judge Herb Morrison has  
****been quite busy ever since the Minister of Magic  
****started investigations against Ministry workers  
****about possible connections with Death Eaters.**

**When Morrison sentenced Ralph Fetcher to  
Azkaban, he had no idea that his own name would  
****soon be mixed into the Minister's cauldron  
****of suspects. **

**Tuesday morning, Kingsley Shacklebolt headed  
****down to the courtroom level of the Ministry of  
****Magic. His objective? Interrogate members of  
****the Wizengamot concerning any possible  
****connection with Death Eaters. It is doubtful  
****that even the Minister himself even suspected  
****what he would discover that morning. Morrison  
****was called into courtroom two, while his peers  
(fellow members of the Wizengamot) waited  
****outside for their turn in the spotlight. **

**Fellow member of the Wizengamot, Bea  
****Haven, had this to say:  
"A whole slew of us waited outside the  
****courtroom," Haven said. "Judge Morrison  
****didn't come out of that room for fifty minutes.  
****When he did, the only thing he had to say  
****was that I was next for the Minister's questioning.  
****Never in my life would I have expected that  
****Herb Morrison could have had anything to do  
****with Death Eaters or the Dark Arts."****interview with the Minister unscathed. This  
****can't be said for Head Judge Herb Morrison.  
****The honorable judge was called back into  
****the courtroom around three in the afternoon.  
****When he was seen once again, almost an hour later,  
****he was being taken out of the courtroom by  
****two Aurors, as well as the Minister of Magic.  
****Morrison was in magical bindings and he  
****did not say anything as he was escorted into  
****the lifts.**

Haven, meanwhile, walked away from her

**Minister Shacklebolt, however, had this to say:  
"I have been given enough evidence by  
****Judge Morrison himself, as well as a skilled  
****Legilimens," the Minister said, "to arrest the Judge.  
****However, this does not mean that he has  
****strong connections with Death Eaters. This is  
****just cautionary, in fact. But he will be staying  
****in a holding cell overnight pending further  
****questioning."****of the wizarding world. Herb Morrison is  
****one of the most respected wizards ever to  
****be placed in the Wizengamot. His arrest is  
****certainly most shocking to everyone who  
****thought they knew the Head Judge.**

This news will come as a surprise to much

As soon as Hermione finished the article, the microwave beeped. Hermione took out the plate and walked back to the table. She set down the plate, then made herself a cup of coffee and started reading the piece of parchment:

_Hermione,_

_By now, you have probably read the article about Herb in the Daily Prophet. Herb is being held in one of the holding cells in the Auror Headquarters. I visited him yesterday. The holding cells there are measurably nicer than the holding cells near the court rooms. Unfortunately, Herb didn't have much to say to me. When I asked him if he was innocent, he only shrugged and didn't answer. _

_I talked to Minister Shacklebolt as well. He usually lets me talk to him about stuff concerning the Wizengamot, but he refused to say much about Herb, only telling me that there are still many questions to be asked._

_Court cases have been suspended until Friday. Don't be too surprised if the first defendant on Friday is Herb himself. Take care of yourself._

_Talk to you soon,_

_Susan_

_P.S. I'm going to be having lunch at the Leaky Cauldron around noon today. If you want to talk about stuff, I'll be happy to lend an ear._Hermione pushed the piece of parchment aside and took a sip of her coffee. She wondered if she should accept Susan's invitation for lunch. Ron had thought she should stay home all day, and she did have leftovers from the night before that she hadn't touched at all, and were waiting for her in the fridge. Ron would probably ask questions if the plate was still there when he got home, and if she threw it in the wastebasket, Ron would probably find out about that too.

Perhaps she could meet Susan and only have a butterbeer or something. She probably wouldn't be very long and she could have the leftovers when she returned home. It did seem like a good idea. It sounded a lot better than lounging around on the couch and watching TV all day, right? Hermione decided to eat breakfast and take that nice, long bath she was planning on. Perhaps the answer would come to her after she had relaxed in the warm water for an hour or so.

Hermione looked at Susan's letter once again. There had been something strange that Susan said that Hermione had skimmed over the first time. Herb didn't have much to say to Susan when she talked to him yesterday. That wasn't like him, as far as Hermione knew. He was usually charismatic and outgoing. He didn't hold much back. And when she asked him if he was innocent, he didn't answer. Did that mean that he wasn't, in fact, innocent? If so, did it mean he was also ashamed about the whole thing? Or did he just not want to talk about the whole thing to anyone but the Minister?

She decided that these questions were too important to leave unanswered. And if she couldn't talk to Herb about it, and if there was no possible chance she could talk to Shacklebolt about it, there was only one choice left. She would meet Susan for lunch. There had to be a reasonable explanation about the whole thing. Herb Morrison was not the type of person who could possibly be connected to Death Eaters. Especially when he was the type of man who put people like them away in prison. He'd be the first person to tell you the consequences of something like that. Hadn't he just sent someone to Azkaban for fifteen years because of that same exact thing?

Hermione finished her omelette quickly, washed the dish and proceeded to the bathroom to fill the water for her bath. Suddenly her day, that had started with the thought of staying home, had become a lot busier.

----------------------------

At noon, Hermione arrived at the Leaky Cauldron via Floo Network. Susan was sitting in a shadowy corner at the other end of the restaurant. She was sipping on a bottle of butterbeer when Hermione walked over to her and sat down across from her.

"You got my letter, then," Susan said.

"Yeah," Hermione said.

"I just ordered me something," Susan said, "I didn't know if you would want anything."

"Oh, it's okay," Hermione said, "I'm not very hungry. I had a late breakfast."

Susan chuckled.

"It's been a while since I've had a late breakfast," Susan said, "I'm so used to getting up around five-thirty and being down in the courtrooms at eight-o-clock on the dot. Even on the weekends, I'm up at five-thirty. My career has given me a... what do Muggles call it? What wakes you up?"

"Alarm clock?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Susan said, "It's like I have an alarm clock in my head or something. I'm afraid it might be early-age insomnia or something."

Susan chuckled again.

"How long have you been working for Herb?" Hermione said.

"Since about a month after graduation," Susan said, "Auntie Amelia knew how much I wanted to work for the Wizengamot, just like her. Before she died, I was set to be her new assistant. When she died, I was still promised the job. And that's the story about how I got where I am today."

"So you know Herb pretty well?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Susan said, then frowned, "Or I thought I did."

"You think he isn't innocent then?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know," Susan said, and Hermione noticed she looked flustered, "When I got to know Herb, I started to idolize him. I thought he was the kind of person I wanted to be."

"So you want to be a judge?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Susan said, "It's mostly all I ever wanted to do, even when I was in Hogwarts. Every day at Hogwarts, I'd hear students say 'I want to be an Auror when I get out of here', or 'I want to be a professional Quidditch player' or 'I want to tame dragons overseas'. I never wanted any of that. I just wanted to be a judge like my Auntie Amelia. Ever since I became Herb's assistant, I just watched him go through his court cases, no matter how big or small they were. No matter how much attention he got from the media, he never let it get to his head. And he never let any defendant get to him."

"Susan," Hermione said, "You're talking as if Herb is dead."

"Of course he isn't dead," Susan said, "But it doesn't mean his career isn't."

At that moment, Tom walked over with Susan's order. He then looked at Hermione.

"What can I get you?" he asked her.

"Oh, just a butterbeer," Hermione said, "Thanks."

With his wand, he summoned a butterbeer from the bar. It landed in front of Hermione. She paid him for it.

"Thanks, Tom," she said again.

Tom smiled and returned to the bar.

"What makes you think Herb's career is dead?" Hermione asked Susan, as if their conversation hadn't been interrupted by Tom the barman.

"You did read my whole letter, right?" Susan asked her.

"Of course," Hermione said.

"If Herb was innocent," Susan said, "We'd be on our normal schedules like usual. A court case in the morning, and a court case after lunch. Now we don't have a court case until Friday, and it looks like it will be against Herb. I'm meeting his replacement tomorrow afternoon."

"Anything could happen between now and Friday, Susan," Hermione said.

"That is quite optimistic, Hermione," Susan said, "But, no offense, it's coming from somebody who hasn't known Herb Morrison very long. You don't know how much this has changed him."

"Of course I'm optimistic!" Hermione almost screamed, "You should be too. He has spent his whole career sending people to Azkaban for the same exact thing he has been charged for. He would have known the consequences. There has to be a reasonable explanation."

"Like what?" Susan asked.

"Well, what do we know right now?" Hermione asked, "Kings – Minister Shacklebolt is investigating the pasts of Ministry workers, trying to find any connection to Death Eaters. We know he has help with it too. He has an Auror, who is a skilled Legilimens, accompanying him when he feels he has found an important lead. Ralph Fetcher's mind was searched by the Legilimens too."

Hermione's eyes brightened. What if –?

"Susan," she said, "You said Herb is a Legilimens, right?"

"Yeah," Susan said.

"Would the Minister of Magic know this?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know," Susan said, "Maybe. Most of the Wizengamot knows, but they are his closest friends. What are you getting at, anyway?"

"If Herb is a Legilimens," Hermione said, "Then maybe he is skilled in Occlumency as well."

"It's possible," Susan said.

"Well," Hermione said, "Those who are skilled in Occlumency train themselves to block Legilimency. We know that Minister Shacklebolt brought in that Auror when he interrogated Herb. If Herb had anything to hide, don't you think he would have wanted to block the Legilimens from that information. Especially if it had anything to do with what the Minister was looking for?"

"What are you saying?" Susan asked, "So now you believe Herb has these dark connections and now he wants to hide them?"

"Well," Hermione said, "Minister Shacklebolt said that he needed to interrogate Herb more. We already know he interrogated him twice. Maybe the Minister thinks that Herb was blocking his mind from the Legilimens, and that means that the Minister thinks that Herb is trying to hide something."

"But you said that Herb would only block his mind," Susan said, "If he had something to hide."

"I want to find out what that is," Hermione said, "I have a feeling Herb is not as guilty as the Minister believes he is."

"It's impossible," Susan said, "I told you. Herb wouldn't talk to me."

"When did you try to talk to him?" Hermione asked.

"Last night after he was put in the holding cell," Susan said.

"And when did the Minister want to interrogate him again?" Hermione asked.

"This morning," Susan said, "He's probably done now."

"Did Herb know this?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, of course," Susan said, "What are you getting at?"

"I don't think Herb was ignoring you, Susan," Hermione said. "You said he shrugged his shoulders at one point, right?"

"Yeah," Susan said, "When I asked him if he was innocent."

"I believe," Hermione said, "he was meditating."

"Meditating?" Susan asked.

"Witches and wizards skilled in Occlumency," Hermione said, "have to train their minds to strengthen their power. I think that when you went to speak with him, he was in the middle of that exact process."

"He had his eyes open the whole time, Hermione," Susan said, "Don't you think --"

"Was there a guard watching him?" Hermione interrupted.

"All the time," Susan said, and Hermione heard a sob come to her voice, "The Auror said that he – he was on –on suicide watch."

"Rubbish," Hermione said, "The Minister instructed him to say that."

"Are you sure?" Susan asked.

"If Shacklebolt even suspected that Herb was skilled in Occlumency," Hermione said, "he would have had a guard watching him. Of course, Herb would have known this, and if he was going to meditate, he would have to keep his eyes open."

"He could have feigned sleeping," Susan said.

"Not if he was sitting up," Hermione said.

"So if Herb was using Occlumency," Susan said, "What did he want to hide?"

"That, Susan," Hermione said, "Is exactly what I want to find out."

------------------------------  
**Okay, I know this chapter was a little short. But that is only because I want to put the next part in a whole new chapter. Now, I'm not entirely sure about the process of Occlumency, but I thought that what Hermione explained might have been pretty close. Also, I know I might be making Kingsley sound a little menacing, but it's just because of his investigation.**

**Feedback would be great!**


	20. Herb's Story

**Chapter 20  
****Herb's Tale**

Half-an-hour later, Hermione and Susan were in the lifts all by themselves.

"We'll be able to talk to Herb, right?" Hermione asked.

"If nobody else is talking to him," Susan said. "But the guard will be there at all times, remember?"

"That won't be a problem," Hermione said.

"It will if you want Herb to tell us anything," Susan said. "I have a feeling that the guard relays anything Herb says straight to the Minister."

"Like I said," Hermione grinned. "Not a problem."

The cool voice overhead announced the floor with the Auror Headquarters, and the doors opened. Hermione followed Susan out of the lifts and down the hall. They went to a door labeled Auror Headquarters, and walked inside. Hermione had never been inside this room before, but it looked nothing like she expected. It was just a plain room with a desk at the other side of the room. A wizard was sitting at the desk. Another wizard was standing against the wall behind him. Hermione was reminded of the Royal Guard.

"Susan Bones and Hermione Granger" Susan said to the man at the desk, "to see prisoner Herb Morrison."

"You both know and understand," the wizard said, "the procedures for speaking to a prisoner?"

Susan and Hermione nodded.

"You may take your wands with you," the wizard said, "But keep them in your pockets at all time. The Auror behind me will escort you to prisoner Morrison's holding cell. Also, reporters for the Daily Prophet have requested an interview with the prisoner at two-o-clock. Which means you only have a little over an hour to speak with the prisoner. I believe that is a generous amount of time, don't you?"

"Yes, sir," Susan said.

Hermione nodded. The man looked at both of them and nodded. He then motioned to the Auror behind him.

"Please follow him," he said.

Hermione was about to ask where exactly they would be following him to, when the Auror took out his wand and poked the wall four times with it. Suddenly, the section of wall disappeared. Hermione followed Susan and the Auror through the archway. The Auror led them to another door. On a plaque on the door were the letters H.C. Hermione noticed there wasn't a doorknob on this door. The Auror pointed his wand at the door and Hermione heard the sound similar to the mechanisms the Gringotts' vaults made when they were unlocked and opened. The door immediately opened and Hermione followed Susan and the Auror inside. Once inside, Hermione saw a long row of holding cells. They all looked like a normal prison cell should look like. The Auror led them to the end of the row and Hermione immediately saw Herb. He was laying on a make-shift cot in a small cell, and staring at the stone wall. The cot was the only object in the holding cell.

"You have visitors, Morrison," the Auror said, then turned to Susan and Hermione, "I'll be sitting right over there."

He pointed to a chair that had just materialized out of thin air.

"So no funny business," he said, "You hear me. If I see anything I don't like, your conversation with the prisoner is over. Any funny business and you just might be Morrison's neighbor for the night. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," Susan and Hermione said.

The Auror pointed his wand at the bars of the cell and three of them opened to make a door. Hermione followed Susan inside. A sound of scraping told Hermione that the Auror had taken his seat. He was now reading a copy of the Daily Prophet. Hermione dared not look at the Auror, but she muttered a lone word under her breath, and concentrated on the Auror.

"Muffliato," she said under her breath.

Hermione glanced at the Auror. He was still reading the Daily Prophet.

"Okay," she said, "We can talk freely."

"Herb?" Susan said, looking at Herb, "Are you awake? It's Susan. Hermione's with me too."

"I don't know why you came," Herb said, still looking at the wall, "I'm sure you're just as ashamed with me as everyone else is."

"We wanted to talk to you, Herb," Hermione said, "We know you're innocent."

Herb turned around and sat up.

"Nobody's innocent, Miss Granger," Herb said, "Everyone who is in Azkaban or in these holding cells is just a little more guilty than everyone else."

"We know you have no connections to Death Eaters," Hermione said.

"Is that right?" Herb said, "Maybe you should read the Daily Prophet more."

"So you do have connections with Death Eaters?" Susan asked.

"If I didn't," Herb said, "Do you think I'd be locked up in here?"

"Hermione thinks she knows why you're locked up in here," Susan said, "Don't you, Hermione?"

"You're a Legilimens, right, Herb?" Hermione asked.

Herb took a short glance at the Auror, then looked at Hermione. He nodded.

"You don't need to worry about the Auror eavesdropping, Herb," Hermione said.

Susan raised an eyebrow at Hermione, then looked at the Auror.

"So you also know Occlumency?" Hermione asked.

Herb nodded again.

"Does the Minister know about this?" Hermione asked.

"He has his suspicions," Herb said.

"Did you use Occlumency against the Auror that accompanied the Minister?" Hermione asked.

Herb nodded.

"Okay," Hermione said. "Before I ask you anymore questions, I want you to hear what I think. Is that okay?"

Herb motioned her to continue.

"I think," Hermione said, "that you have no connections to Death Eaters. But... I do think that someone close to you does have those connections, and you're trying to protect these people."

Herb stared at her.

"H-h-how?" he said, "How do you know that?"

"Herb," Susan said, "Hermione Granger wasn't given the title of Smartest Witch of Her Age for nothing."

Hermione blushed.

"Although, Hermione," Susan said, "I would also like to know how you know this information."

"Nobody in their right mind," Hermione said, looking at Herb, "could put away someone in Azkaban if they had been convicted of it themselves. They'd be too afraid. You were very confident when you put Ralph Fetcher in Azkaban for his connections to a Death Eater."

Herb looked down at the stone floor. Hermione sat on the right side of him.

"Judge Morrison," Hermione said, "Who do you know who has these terrible connections to a Death Eater? Who are you trying to protect, Herb?"

Herb looked at Hermione, then looked at Susan. He then returned his gaze back to the floor.

"If it wasn't for an event that happened almost twenty years ago," Herb said, "I wouldn't be where I am today. I wouldn't be Head Judge for the Wizengamot, and I wouldn't be skilled in Legilimency or Occlumency."

"Twenty years ago?" Hermione said,

"But," Susan said, "That would be around the time --"

Susan looked at Hermione. Hermione knew what she was saying. It would have been around the time Voldemort had killed Harry's parents and almost killed Harry.

"Twenty years ago," Herb said, "My older brother was at the turning point of his life."

"You never mentioned that you had a brother," Susan said, sitting down on the other side of Herb.

"This is the first time in twenty years," Herb said, "I've ever mentioned his existence to anyone. Anyone who knew anything about him thinks he is dead."

Susan looked at Hermione. Herb cleared his throat.

"Twenty years ago," Herb said again, "My older brother, Geoff, was at the turning point of his life. He was a graduate of Hogwarts, at the top of his class, and he was destined for a headlining job in the Ministry. Many of the students and professors in Hogwarts said that he would become Minister of Magic before the end of his life."

Hermione nodded. Geoff Morrison sounded like the kind of student Horace Slughorn would have wanted for his collection. So what had changed that?

"I was still in the prime of my youth," Herb continued, "Fifteen years old and standing comfortably in Geoffrey Morrison's shadow."

Hermione was surprised. She would have thought Herb was at least in his mid-forties. Time hadn't been very good to him, even for a wizard.

"The summer after he graduated," Herb said, "Geoff moved out of my parents' house and into a flat in the outer 'burbs of London. He had no girlfriend, which was surprising to even me at the time. In Hogwarts, he had been Head Boy. There were rumors that he was snogging the Head Girl during his rounds and that she would be the future Mrs. Geoffrey Morrison. This wasn't true. The Head Girl was secretly with the best Seeker in Hogwarts. The problem was that she was a Gryffindor and he was a Slytherin. Even then, both houses were rivals. I'm sure you can guess the potential problems with the Head Girl's secret love. But that has nothing to do with my story."

"What house were you and your brother in?" Susan asked.

"Oh, we were in separate houses," Herb said, "I was in Ravenclaw. My brother was in Gryffindor."

Susan grinned. Her mentor had been in the same house she was in.

"During the summer after he graduated," Herb said, "I visited Geoff's flat exactly three times. The first time, it was just a dinner between brothers. We laughed and joked like brothers do. He asked me if there was anyone at Hogwarts who I had fancied. I lied and said there wasn't. To be honest, there was one girl. She would become Head Girl in her seventh year, and now I see her every day at work."

"Bea Haven?" Susan asked, her mouth in a perfect O.

Herb grinned and nodded. Hermione remembered who Bea was. She was the lady who had commented on how long Shacklebolt was interrogating Herb, and she had also talked about Herb in her interview with the Daily Prophet.

"But again," Herb said, "That has nothing to do with my story. The second time I visited Geoff, he wasn't there. I figured he had already started looking for a job. It was what he had told my parents in the letters he had sent them. The last time I visited my brother's flat... is a day I'll never forget as long as I live."

Herb paused for a moment. He reached around Susan and lifted up the pillow he had been resting on. He took something from under the pillow and sat back up. Hermione saw two things in his hand. One looked like a photograph. The other looked like a very old newspaper clipping that was folded up.

"This is what my brother looked like on the day of his graduation," Herb said, showing the photograph to Susan, then Hermione.

Hermione looked at it. To her, Geoff Morrison looked a little like Percy Weasley, though there were major differences. He had short jet-black hair, which could barely be seen under the tousled wizard's cap. His eyes, a strikingly piercing blue were staring behind a pair of horn-rimmed glasses. He was smiling and laughing. Far behind him, Hermione could see the Giant Squid jumping out of the Hogwarts Lake.

"And this," Herb said, "Is how he looked only five years later."

Herb unfolded the newspaper clipping. When Herb showed it to Susan, she gasped. He then showed it to Hermione. Hermione almost cried out. The handsome Head Boy-ish features of Geoffrey Morrison had all but disappeared. His hair, still black, was long and filthy as if it had been untended to for a long time. His nose looked as if it had been broken and repaired many times. His mouth, which had been smiling and laughing at Hogwarts, was growling and Hermione could see a broken tooth. But his eyes were what Hermione had been frightened of the most. Although the newspaper clipping was black and white, Hermione could almost see a red tinge in those eyes. Geoff was being held by two wizards that Hermione knew were Aurors. Above Geoff's picture, in big bold letters, were the words:

**WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE  
GEOFFREY MORRISON  
**

A reward, below the picture, offered 150 Galleons for capture. Hermione tried to think of what the picture had reminded her of. Then she remembered: it reminded her of Sirius Black's wanted poster.

"What could have possibly happened?" Susan asked, "Herb... what did you see that day?"

"I've never told a single soul," Herb said, "what I am about to tell you. The day was Herb's eighteenth birthday. I had gone over to his flat to give him my present and the spend the day with him. I would be returning to Hogwarts the following week, and I knew I wouldn't see my brother for a while after this visit. I only wish I hadn't gone over to his flat that day..."

_Flashback:_

Fifteen year old Herbert Morrison whistled the Hogwarts Hymn to himself as he rode the Knight Bus through the streets of London. A small package was in his lap. Inside the package was a book about the history of the Ministry of Magic.

_This, he figured, would help his brother get a job he deserved more than anyone in the wizarding world. Geoff Morrison had been searching for a job for many weeks, and Herb knew that Geoff could have gotten a job the week after he graduated from Hogwarts. He just hadn't visited the right people. Hopefully the book would point him in the right direction. Geoff loved books, Herb knew. He would definitely love this one._

Herb heard someone clear their throat. He looked up. The driver was looking at him.

"Still wanting to get off at the destination you requested?" he said.

_Herb nodded._

"This is it, then" the driver said.

"_Oh, right," Herb said, "Thanks."_

"Be safe, kid," the driver said, "I imagine you're far from home."

"I'm visiting my brother," Herb said, proudly.

_The driver nodded and Herb walked off the bus. The Knight Bus roared into action and sped down the street, then disappeared into thin air. Herb walked up the street toward his destination. Three houses up the street was Geoff's house. Herb walked up the sidewalk to the house and knocked on the door. A few moments later, the door opened. Geoff looked surprised to see Herb._

_  
"What are you doing here, Herb?" Geoff asked._

"_I came to give you your birthday present, Geoff," Herb said._

_Herb nodded to his package. Geoff stared at him, then looked at the package._

"Oh, all right," he said, "Come on in then."

Herb walked past Geoff and into the house. He looked back to his brother, who was looking left and right out the door.

"Are you expecting somebody?" Herb asked.

"_Huh?" Geoff said, turning his head to Herb, "Oh. Yeah, a friend is taking me out to eat later."_

"A friend?" Herb asked, "Do I know them? Is it a girl?"

"No," Geoff said, "It's a guy. And you don't know him. I'm meeting him about a job."

"A job?" Herb asked, "In the Ministry, perhaps?"

"You talk too much, you know that?" Geoff said, "Go sit in the living room. Do you want anything to drink?"

"You have butterbeer?" Herb asked.

"_Always," Geoff said._

_Herb grinned. As he walked into the living room, he noticed Geoff look back at the front door. Herb sat down on the couch, and a minute later, Herb came in with two bottles of butterbeer._

"All right," Geoff said, handing Herb a bottle and sitting beside him, "What did you get me?"

Herb handed him the package. Geoff tore it open and looked at the book.

"'A Thorough History of the Ministry of Magic'," Geoff said, reading the title, "You got me a book, little brother?"

"I know you want to get a job at the Ministry," Herb said, "I figured this will help you. You don't like it?"

Geoff looked at the book, then looked back at Herb.

"No," he said, then put a hand to Herb's head and scuffed up his hair, "I love it! Thanks. Be honest with me now. Did Dad ask you to get me this?"

"No," Herb said, "I got it from Flourish and Blott's myself."

"All right," Geoff said, "I believe you. I tell you what. I'll start reading it when I get back from dinner with my friend. I might be reading it all night, you know?"

Herb grinned. Suddenly, he heard something that sounded like a whip cracking, followed by two more cracks.

"Oh, bloody hell," Geoff said, suddenly.

"_That came from the front yard, didn't it?" Herb said, "Was that somebody apparating?"_

Geoff jumped up and pulled Herb to his feet. He took Herb's hand and dragged Herb over to a door with a bunch of rivets in it.

"_G-Geoff!" Herb said, "I don't understand. What's going on?"_

"_Get in here," Geoff said, opening the door and pushing Herb in, "Don't say a word. Nobody was supposed to be here with me when they got here."_

"B-b-but I don't understand, Geoff," Herb said, frightened, "What's going on? Please, tell me!"

"Shh!" Geoff shushed him, "Be quiet. I'll explain everything later! Do you hear me? Don't... say... a... word."

Herb nodded. Geoff shut the door. Herb looked around and realized he was in a closet. The only light coming through was from the many rivets in the door. Herb's eyes followed his brother as Geoff walked through the archway seperating the living room and the front hallway. Suddenly, he heard the front door open.

"_Hi, guys," Geoff said to someone, "Didn't expect you today. Look, I just sent my letter by owl earlier today. I was going to see him later this evening."_

"He got your letter, Morrison," a gruff-sounding voice said, "He didn't want to wait."

"H-h-he's here?" Geoff asked.

"_Of course not!" another voice, this time cool and clear, said, "He's far too busy too make a house call for a grunt like you."_

"Well," yet another voice, and this time Herb knew it was female, said, "Aren't you going to be kind and let us in?"

"_Oh, uh, sure," Geoff said, "Come on in. Perhaps we can go to the back yard?"_

"We'll talk to you in the living room," the second man's voice said, "I'm sure it's much cooler in there than it is outside."

"Yes it is," Geoff said, "To the living room then."

Herb heard a door slam, then saw two unknown men and a woman walk into the room. Geoff followed them in. One of the men had white-blonde hair and looked pretty young. Herb thought he was the kind of man who was brought up quite well and might have even lived in one of those big mansions people like Herb only read about. The other man had black hair that led into a long ponytail. He also had a long mustache and a beard that ended in a knot. The woman had long black hair and she looked like someone who hadn't seen very much daylight. All three were wearing dark, black cloaks. This scared Herb the most. What kind of friends did Geoff have?

"Do you want anything to drink?" Geoff asked.

"_No!" the woman said, "We don't want any of your... poison."_

"Poison?" Geoff asked.

"_Now, Bella," the man with white-blonde hair said, "Play nicely."_

"Hush, Lucius!" Bella hissed, "You're only here because my sister likes you."

"Are you going to let her talk to me like that, Rabastan?" Lucius asked.

_Rabastan just gave a gruff laugh._

"_Geoff," he said, "Rumor around the water hole is that today is your birthday. Is this true?"_

"I'm eighteen today," Geoff said.

"_Eighteen?" Bella asked, "So young. Still... old enough for a tattoo, if you get my meaning."_

Rabastan laughed again.

"_Tattoo?" Geoff asked._

"_Yes," Bella said, "Surely you remember what the Dark Lord asked of you?"_

Herb's eyes went wide. The Dark Lord? That could only mean one thing: these people were Death Eaters! But... did that mean that Geoff was –?

"_I-I remember," Geoff said, "I just didn't think that I'd be qualified for – for something like this."_

"Qualified?" Bella said, in a high laugh, "You are more than qualified! Weren't you the best student of your year at Hogwarts? Didn't you tell the Dark Lord that? Didn't you tell him that rumors were that you were destined to become the future Minister of Magic?"

"Yes," Geoff said, "But --"

"This is more than a privelege, Geoffrey," Rabastan said, "Surely you should be grateful."

"I-I am," Geoff said.

"_Well, then," Rabastan said, "Take a seat."_

Rabastan pointed to a chair near Geoff. Geoff nodded, and as he walked over to the chair, Herb saw his brother take a short glance at him, then quickly look away. Herb could tell that Geoff looked frightened. Was his brother frightened for his own life... or for Herb's? Bella walked over to Geoff.

"_Give me your left arm," she said._

_  
Geoff laid his left arm upwards on the arm of the chair._

"_Lucius," Bella said, "Hold his arm down. Rabastan, darling, hold his head back. We don't want him to struggle, do we?"_

Rabastan went behind Geoff's chair and put one hand under Geoff's chin and the other on top of his head.

"_Not so hard, darling," Bella said, "We don't want to break dear Geoff's neck, do we?"_

Herb saw his brother's left arm shaking, until the man named Lucius grabbed it and pinned it against the arm of the chair. Bella took out her wand and pressed the tip against Geoff's forearm.

"Geoffrey Morrison," Bella said, "Do you promise to serve the Dark Lord for as long as you shall live? Nod your head, darling, that is all."

"Say no, Geoff," Herb said, under his breath, "Just say no."

_Geoff nodded._

"_Good boy," Bella said, "Do you promise to answer the call of the Dark Lord at all times?"_

Geoff nodded.

"_Do you promise to lay your life before the Dark Lord if he asks you to?" Bella asked._

_Geoff nodded._

"And last, but not least," Bella said, "Do you promise, as a loyal Death Eater, to be true to other Death Eaters around you, to never speak ill of them, and to never reveal yourself as a Death Eater to those who oppose the Dark Lord even under pain of death?"

Geoff nodded. Bella grinned. She looked from Geoff's eyes to his forearm. She then muttered something that sounded like a song. Geoff groaned and screamed. Herb wanted to burst out of the closet and tell them to stop. To leave his brother alone and get out of the house. But he knew he couldn't. He knew those people out there, those Death Eaters, would kill him and his brother as soon as he revealed himself.

_Something formed on Geoff's forearm, and Herb knew what it was. He had seen this mark in Defense Against the Dark Arts many times. It was a skull with a snake protruding from its mouth. It was the Dark Mark._

"There!" Bella said, "Now that wasn't so bad, was it? In fact, it looks quite macho on you."

"Yeah!" Rabastan said, "You'll get your pick of the girls now, fella."

Rabastan laughed.

_Flashback ends..._

Hermione's eyes were wide and she realized she had tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I couldn't do anything," Herb said, "Not a thing. I sat back while Lucius Malfoy and the two Lestranges branded my brother with that – that mark."

"I don't know how you could have done it," Susan said, "I would be screaming for my life. And to think... Lucius Malfoy was in one of our courtrooms, right in front of us, only a couple weeks ago, and you had to sit there knowing that he once participated in giving the Dark Mark to your brother."

"That's not all," Herb said, "There's more. After he was branded with the Dark Mark, he was led out of the house and went who knows where. The next time I saw him was almost three years later. Voldemort was gone, though now we know that was only temporary, and the Death Eaters were on the run. Every day after I witnessed my brother being branded with the Dark Mark, I started reading the Daily Prophet. I feared that I would see news of his capture or murder, but I didn't. Fast-forward to three years later. I had just graduated from Hogwarts. Top marks in my class. I don't know how I did it. I had nightmares almost every night of my brother turning into the next Dark Lord. I think the only reason I stayed sane was that I made a promise to myself to keep my brother's secret to myself. Nobody could know about it."

Herb looked at the floor again.

"I told you that I started my career as a Court Scribe, right?" Herb asked.

"Sure," Hermione said.

"That wasn't right," Herb said, "I started my career as a journalist for the Daily Prophet. It would keep me close enough to the news so that if I ever heard news of my brother, I could find him. The trouble was... he found me."

Hermione noticed that Susan's eyes went wide. She wasn't surprised. She was sure she had the same expression.

"He didn't try to recruit you, did he?" Susan asked.

"No," Herb said, "Just the opposite."

"He tried to kill you?" Susan asked.

"No, he couldn't if he tried," Herb said, "There is a bond that siblings have. That bond probably saved me. He tried to tell me to run for it. If he could find me, then they could. I couldn't run. I was too worried about him. Actually, I told him to run. I told him to get away from the Death Eaters. I told him to hide. He said he would try, but that I had to do something in return. He told me that I had to learn Legilimency and Occlumency. He told me I had to learn this so I could block my mind if anyone asked me about him. He then ran off and I never saw him again. Well, that's not true either. The last time I saw him..."

He pointed to the newspaper clipping.

"Was two years later," he said, looking at the clipping. "I had done pretty well for myself in the Daily Prophet. Bringing in high quality stories, while waiting for the one that would break even me. Then it came. By then I was the man in charge of completing the Daily Prophet and getting them ready for copies. One day, I saw this article on the chopping block. This picture was above it."

He pointed to the clipping once again.

"The article below said that Geoff had been captured by Aurors while hiding away in Ireland," Herb said, "He was taken to an Irish prison where this picture was taken. It said, that one night, Geoff escaped from the prison and was, once again, on the run. So there I was sitting in my office in the Daily Prophet headquarters with a choice: allow this article to be in that morning's edition of the Daily Prophet, or save my brother's skin and trash it. You can probably guess what I did. This picture you see is from the only copy of that article. The rest is gone. I made it disappear with a simple vanishing spell. Unfortunately the author of this article was the son of the head of the Daily Prophet at the time. When he didn't see his article, his father thought he lost it, and then he blamed me. He told his father about it, and I was fired. So what could I do? I had to make sure that I was keeping my brother safe, but in secret."

"So you joined the justice career," Hermione said.

"Bingo," Herb said, "I was where I needed to be. Working my way to judge, having my reputation as top student at Hogwarts behind me. Plus I was safely at a point where I could make sure I see everything that was going on in the Wizengamot. At the time, many Death Eaters were being captured and sent in front of the Wizengamot. It was the perfect idea. Thankfully, my brother has evaded capture and to this day, he has somehow stayed in hiding or..."

"Or he is dead," Susan said.

Herb nodded. Fresh tears fell from his eyes and onto the faded newspaper clipping.

"Now," he said, "Here I am, and my past has finally caught up with me."

"So nobody has ever made the connection between Geoff and you?" Susan asked.

"Never," Herb said, "My parents think he is dead. They never knew he was a Death Eater. I never talk about him, so nobody knows who he is. Well, almost nobody. I have a feeling that Lucius Malfoy may have made the connection at one point or another, but he keeps it quiet. There have been times where I think that if I ever sent him or his family to Azkaban, he would reveal my secret. Doesn't matter now. Way I figured it, I have two choices: go to Azkaban for refusing to tell the Minister what I'm hiding from him, or tell him that he is wrong about me, but not pretty far from the truth."

"Is there anything we can do?" Susan asked. "Maybe we could try and find your brother? Maybe he could stick up for you, like a big brother should do. I mean, he would be making up for his mistakes."

"Yeah!" Hermione said, "Besides, it's his problem to begin with. He should be grateful to you for keeping his secret for all these years."

"I appreciate it, ladies," Herb said, "I really do. But I don't think there is a chance in the world."

"If I know anything, Your Honor," Hermione said, "I know there is always some kind of chance. This is what I think we should do. I think we should let this court date happen. There is only one chance that you will be able to get through this without being sentenced to Azkaban. Susan, do you think you can try and find Geoff?"

Susan looked shocked, but then she looked at Herb and nodded.

"I'll try my best," Susan said, "I have my resources."

"Okay," Hermione said, "Herb, all you have to do is keep your story secret until Friday. I think we might just be able to pull it off."

"All right!" the Auror's voice said, "Time's up. Daily Prophet reporters are going to be a little early it seems."

"We'll do whatever we can, Herb," Hermione said, "I promise."

Herb smiled and nodded. The cell door opened and Hermione and Susan walked out.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Susan said, as they made their way back toward the front room of the Auror Headquarters.

"So do I," Hermione said.

"You know," Susan said, "There might be one more factor on our side on Friday."

"Oh?" Hermione asked.

"You know the judge I'm meeting tomorrow?" Susan said, "The judge who is scheduled for Herb's case? I'll give you three guesses who it is."

"I have no idea," Hermione said.

"Let me give you a hint," Susan said, "Her name was mentioned during Herb's story."

"Oh," Hermione said, nodding and grinning, "Bea Haven."

"Exactly," Susan said.

"You think Bea Haven knows about Herb's crush on her?" Hermione asked.

"She will, Hermione," Susan said, "I'll make sure of it."

Hermione grinned. She may have been smiling, but her insides were screaming. She knew there was a chance that everything would work out in Herb's favor on Friday. But did Herb know just how miniscule that chance was?

-----------------------------------------  
**Cliffhanger! Whew. Well a lot of factors in this chapter could be very wrong. But, I thought it would work out best with my story.**

I hope you liked this chapter! Feedback would be great.


	21. Herb Morrison vs The Wizengamot

**Chapter 21  
****Herb Morrison vs. The Wizengamot**

The next couple of days were some of the toughest days Hermione had ever had in her life. Between Thursday and Friday, Hermione received three letters from Susan Bones. The first letter, told Hermione that Susan had written a letter to Herb's brother, telling him all about Herb's predicament.

In the letter, Susan had told Geoff that Herb had told her his story, and said how much Herb had given up for him in his life, and how much he was giving up for his brother now. She had asked Geoff to come to the Ministry of Magic on Friday and reveal himself to the Wizengamot and stick up for his brother, who had done the same for him all these years. She had also sent clippings from the Daily Prophet of Herb's arrest as proof to what she had said, including a clipping from Thursday morning's edition, which had stated that Herb would be put on trial in Courtroom Seven on Friday at eight-thirty in the morning, and could be sentenced to Azkaban for up to thirty years.

Hermione had read this same article early Wednesday morning. She couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the number of years, and knew that Kingsley had been behind it all.

The second letter from Susan also came on Thursday. It told Hermione that Bea Haven was indeed the judge who would be heading Herb's case. Susan had tried to persuade her to go easy on Herb during the case, and all Susan said was that she wasn't exactly sure what had been going through Bea's mind.

The third letter came Friday morning with the Daily Prophet, and all it said was that Susan hadn't received any letter back from Herb's brother, but that her owl had come back the day before with empty-talons, so she figured that the owl had found its target.

A good portion of the Daily Prophet was dedicated to the story of Head Judge Herb Morrison's case. One article said that Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt himself would be present for the case, and had also invited much of the media to be in the court room as well. It had also reported that Kingsley and his good friend, the Auror who had been skilled in Legilimens, would be taking the stand against Herb Morrison as well.

"They are certainly holding nothing back," Ron said, at breakfast, as he was reading the Daily Prophet, "Aren't they?"

Hermione silently shook her head.

"Do you think Herb even has a chance of getting through this unscathed?" Ron asked.

"There is only man who can save Herb now," Hermione said.

"Himself?" Ron asked.

"Besides himself," Hermione said.

"Who?" Ron asked.

Hermione was about to answer, when she heard a pecking sound on the window.

"Another Ministry owl?" Ron asked.

Hermione stood up and rushed over to the window. She opened it up and took the rolled up piece of parchment from its talons and read it, her eyes going back and forth in a blur. She couldn't believe her eyes as she read it, and read over it a second time. What was Susan thinking? Could they actually get away with this? Could they be lucky enough?

"Looks like there is three people who can save Herb now," Hermione said, "Herb included."

"Who?" Ron asked.

"Lucius Malfoy," Hermione said.

"Are you joking?" Ron asked, "After what Morrison has put him through?"

"I know," Hermione said, shrugging, "I can't believe it myself. But it looks like he has made a bargain with Susan, and Susan has found a way to work it out."

"What do you mean?" Ron asked.

"If Malfoy takes the stand," Hermione said, "Susan says Narcissa will be free from her duties."

"Take the stand?" Ron asked, "What could Lucius Malfoy possibly have to give that could be good enough?"

"A lot more than you know, Ron," Hermione said.

Hermione knew there was only one real reason that Lucius Malfoy would take the stand. He had immunity from anything involving his history as a Death Eater, and if he revealed his story, he would be immune from any penalty.

"So are you going to tell me who this third person is?" Ron asked.

"I shouldn't," Hermione said, "I don't even know if he'll show up today."

"Well, whoever it is, Hermione," Ron said, "I hope he shows up for Judge Morrison's sake."

"So do I, Ron," Hermione said, "So do I."

------------------------------------------

Ding!

"Bottom floor," the cool voice in the lifts said, "Courtrooms One Through Ten, Department of Mysteries."

Hermione followed a large number of witches and wizards out of the lifts. Many of them had cameras, and Hermione was sure she had been riding the lifts with many of the Daily Prophet reporters. Hermione immediately saw Susan waiting by the wall in front of Courtroom Seven. Susan saw her at once and motioned her over.

"Any sign of Geoff?" Hermione asked.

"Nope," Susan said, frowning.

"You've been very busy over the past couple of days," Hermione said, "How did you get Lucius Malfoy to take the stand."

"Well," Susan said, "I was having lunch after my meeting with Bea Haven yesterday and suddenly it came to me. There was one person in Herb's story, other than Geoff, who could help Herb out the most. The only problem is how to convince Lucius to do it. Then I remembered that his wife was working for us when she didn't really want to. I wrote Lucius a letter and asked him to meet me if he wanted to free his wife from her job. This morning, he met me at the Leaky Cauldron. Do you want to know what the first thing he asked me was?"

"Sure," Hermione said.

"He asked me," Susan said, "if the little boy that Herb Morrison once was ever came out of that closet."

"He knew?" Hermione asked.

"He knew," Susan said, nodding, "And he also somehow knew that Herb had told the story to me. I told him he had, and he told me that he'd help Herb only if I stuck to my promise. I told him that if Herb stayed out of Azkaban and kept his position of Head Judge, that he would definitely give a full pardon to the whole Malfoy family, including immunity."

"But he has the pardon," Hermione said.

"I told him that," Susan said, "He said that as long as his wife was still working for the Ministry, that his pardon would never be official. Well, that is exactly what I had promised him to begin with. He also said that every one of his files that revealed him as a Death Eater had to be wiped clean and vanished into oblivion, and that none of it could ever show up in the Daily Prophet again. I told him that if Herb survived this trial, he would do everything in his power to make that possible. Lucius agreed."

"Have you told Herb this yet?" Hermione asked.

"Yep," Susan said, "I told him and his lawyer."

"Who is his lawyer?" Hermione asked.

"Calvin Peters," Susan said.

"I knew it," Hermione said, "Somehow I just knew it."

"Relax," Susan said, "Calvin knows what he is doing."

"Does Calvin also know Herb has a brother who was once a Death Eater?" Hermione asked.

Susan didn't reply.

"I thought as much," Hermione said.

Hermione and Susan remained by the wall as scores of witches and wizards made their way into Courtroom Seven.

"Susan," Hermione said, "Those aren't all reporters are they?"

"Herb Morrison has many friends," Susan said, "Unfortunately, he also has many enemies who haven't made their way into Azkaban just yet. And that isn't the only surprise of the day, I promise you."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"Since you started working with the Wizengamot, Hermione," Susan said, "Have you noticed anything odd? I don't mean with the defendants. I mean anything that hits closer to home, as the Muggles say."

"You mean with the Wizengamot?" Hermione asked.

Susan nodded.

"Well," Hermione said, "I was always under the impression that the Wizengamot was a lot larger."

"Right on the Galleon," Susan said, "In every case you've participated in, the Wizengamot have always been numbered to a bare minimum. That is until today."

"Susan," Hermione said, "You're not saying...?"

"Herb is going to be tried in front of the whole Wizengamot," Susan said.

"Oh, Merlin," Hermione said, sighing.

Susan nodded.

"Do we have any chance, Susan?" Hermione asked.

"What did you say to Herb on Wednesday, Hermione?" Susan asked.

Hermione shrugged. Susan put a hand on her shoulder.

"There is always a chance," she said, "Always."

Hermione nodded timidly, and as she watched more and more witches and wizards walk into Courtroom Seven, she knew now who many of them were: several members of the full Wizengamot.

-------------------------------  
At eight-twenty, Hermione was sitting in her usual seat. Almost every chair around her was filled, and over half of the witches and wizards in the courtroom were dressed in the golden robes of the Wizengamot. Bea Haven, the judge for the trial, was sitting in Herb's chair. As Hermione looked at her, she only hoped that Susan had said something useful to her.

Down in the bottom three rows of seats, on the left side of the room, were a number of witches and wizards, all equipped with either a camera, or a large stack of parchment and a number of quills and ink. Some of the quills, Hermione recognized, were of the Quick-Quotes variety. Directly across from them on the other side of the room was a number of witches and wizards adorned in business suits and dresses. Hermione guessed they were the friends, and enemies, of Herb Morrison. As Hermione looked around, she didn't see neither Lucius Malfoy nor anyone who might have resembled Geoff Morrison anywhere, though she did recognize Narcissa Malfoy sitting a few rows below her. There was an empty seat beside her, and Hermione guessed there was only one person who this seat was reserved for.

The doors of the courtroom opened, and Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt walked in. Suddenly, he was surrounded in a blaze of camera flashes from the left side, and applause broke out from the right side. A few reporters started to ask some questions to him, but he raised his hands toward them and silenced them immediately, then took his seat on the bottom row. Hermione then recognized someone she hadn't seen until then: Cornelius Fudge was sitting in the chair next to Kingsley. On the other side of Kingsley was a man dressed in the attire usually seen on an Auror. Hermione only guessed that this was the Auror who had been skilled in Legilimency.

The doors of the courtroom opened once more, and a few more people arrived. One, and the sight of him made Hermione's throat tense up, was Lucius Malfoy. Hermione looked at Susan, who looked back at her. Susan was smiling, but Hermione wasn't sure. Would Lucius Malfoy go through with his story? Even more important than that, would Geoff Morrison even show up? Because, as far as Hermione was concerned, without Geoff Morrison's story, it didn't even matter if Lucius Malfoy took the stand or not.

Exactly at eight-thirty, the door opened yet again. This time, Herb Morrison walked in. He was being escorted by two Aurors, one of whom was the same Auror who had escorted Hermione and Susan to Herb's cell. Hermione also recognized the lawyer Calvin Peters, walking behind Herb. Hermione grinned at Herb, hoping he would see her. Herb sat down in the front row, on the opposite side of the Minister.

Suddenly, Susan Bones stood up and the entire room went silent as if someone had suddenly used the Silencing Charm in the room.

"The next case is Herb Morrison vs. The Wizengamot," Susan said, "Honorable Judge Haven presiding."

Susan sat back down, and Bea Haven leaned forward.

"Would the defendant rise?" she asked.

Herb Morrison stood up, followed by Calvin Peters.

"Herbert Morrison," Bea said, "You are in front of the Wizengamot today as ordered by Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt, under the charges that you have connections to Death Eaters. Minister Shacklebolt also claims that you have not been entirely honest with him, and hopes that you will give your story today. He also wants the Wizengamot to be informed that Herb Morrison is, in fact, the defendant today, and should be treated as the defendant, and not as the Head Judge of the Wizengamot. Mr. Peters, do you have anything to say in the defense of your client before we start?"

Calvin stepped forward.

"Yes, Your Honor," Calvin said.

"Bea will be fine, Mr. Peters," Bea said, sighing.

"Of course," Calvin said, "Mr. Morrison has informed me that he will be revealing his entire story today, and has also informed me that he has a witness for --"

Herb tapped Calvin's shoulder and whispered something into his ear.

"Pardon me," Calvin said, "Two witnesses, if the other witness is here on time."

"I have no wish to wait for your witnesses, Mr. Peters," Bea said, "Is at least one of your witnesses here?"

"Yes, Bea," Calvin said.

"Is there anything else you want to say before we begin?" Bea said.

"Yes," Calvin said, "We request, because the Minister has offered his own participation for the Wizengamot's side of the case, and because he is obviously a very busy man, that the prosecution goes first."

"Is there a reason for this request," Bea said, "that has to do with anything besides the Minister's schedule?"

"Yes," Calvin said, "My client feels that the Minister's statement will help him with his story."

"I will accept it if the Minister has no objections," Bea said, "Objections?"

Kingsley stood up and shook his head.

"Very well," Bea said, "The Wizengamot calls Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt to the stand."

Kingsley walked over to the chair in the middle of the floor and sat down.

"State your name for the Wizengamot," Bea said.

"Kingsley Shacklebolt, Minister of Magic," Kingsley said.

"Minister," Bea said, "Can you please state your reason for charging the defendant?"

"I interviewed Mr. Morrison this past Tuesday," Kingsley said, "during my on-going investigation. That day I had investigated the Wizengamot who had shown up that day, and only Mr. Morrison interested me enough to order him to a second interview."

"Please be more clear, Minister," Bea said, "Why was he the most interesting out of all your investigations?"

"I had a feeling that he was hiding something from me," Kingsley said, "And during that first interview, I asked Franklin Sawyer to assist."

"Franklin Sawyer," Bea said, "the man who you've also asked to be a participant for the prosecution?"

"Yes, Bea," Kingsley said. "He is skilled in Legilimency, and his knowledge in this art helps me, as well as the Auror Department, with many interviews. He assisted me in my interview with Herb Morrison, but he couldn't find anything."

"Mr. Sawyer, will you take the stand with the Minister?" Bea asked.

Sawyer stood up and walked behind the Minister.

"Mr. Sawyer," Bea said, "I'm sure many of the Wizengamot are not familiar with Legilimency. It has been quite a few years since many of us have had our education."

Many of the witches and wizards on the right side of the courtroom laughed softly. Bea looked at them, and they stopped.

"Thank you," she said, then looked back at Sawyer, " Mr. Sawyer, as I was saying, could you please tell us about Legilimency?"

Sawyer gave his explanation about Legilimency. He also described Occlumency.

"So Occlumency is used to block Legilimency?" Bea asked.

"Yes, Your Honor," Sawyer said.

"Has Occlumency ever stopped your attempts of Legilimency before?" Bea asked.

"Of course, Your Honor," Sawyer said.

"Even when you are at the top of your art?" Bea asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Sawyer said.

"Mr. Peters, may I see you up here for a moment?" Bea asked.

Calvin stood up and walked up the stairs, then past Hermione and over to Bea. Bea whispered something to Calvin and Calvin nodded. Bea whispered something else and Calvin nodded once again. Bea motioned for Calvin to return to his seat. He did so, and whispered something to Herb. Hermione could tell he looked a little concerned, but then nodded. Calvin looked at Bea and gave her the thumbs-up signal.

"Mr. Sawyer," Bea said, "Are you aware that Herb Morrison is skillful in the art of Legilimency?"

"I heard the rumor, but I wasn't sure, Your Honor," Sawyer said.

"So then it would be accurate to say," Bea said, "That you were not aware that Herb Morrison is also skilled in the art of Occlumency."

"I was not aware of that," Sawyer said.

"The Minister says that you found nothing when you used Legilimency on Herb Morrison," Bea said, "Is that correct?"

"I found nothing pertaining to what I was searching for," Sawyer said.

"Which is what?" Bea asked.

"Any connections to Death Eaters," Sawyer said.

"Could Occlumency have been the reason for your failure to find anything?" Bea asked.

"Yes," Sawyer said, "Absolutely."

"Thank you, Mr. Sawyer," Bea said, "You may sit back down."

Sawyer nodded and sat back down.

"Minister Shacklebolt," Bea said, "I will ask you the same questions. Were you aware that Herb Morrison was skilled in Legilimency and Occlumency?"

"Not at the time of my first interview with him on Tuesday," Kingsley said.

"You interviewed the defendant four times this week," Bea said, "Is that correct?"

"Yes," Kingsley said.

"You were unsuccessful to get the information you wanted?" Bea asked, "Is that true?"

"If it were not" Kingsley said, "we wouldn't be here today, Your Honor."

"That is all, Minister," Bea said, "Thank you."

Minister stood up and returned to his seat.

"Will the defendant please take the stand?" Bea asked.

Herb stood up and walked over to the chair and sat down.

"State your name," Bea said.

"Herbert Morrison," Herb said.

"You've agreed to tell the whole story you've been denying, Mr. Morrison?" Bea asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Herb said.

"Do you have any connections with Death Eaters, Mr. Morrison?" Bea asked.

"I do not," Herb said, "But someone very close to me does."

Many of the witches and wizards started to whisper and mutter about each other.

"Silence," Bea said.

The whole room went suddenly silent.

"Thank you," Bea said, "Any more of this and I will ask that anyone who is not a participant in this trial leave the courtroom."

Bea sighed and looked at Herb.

"Mr. Morrison," she said, "Are you telling me that the reason we are here today is because you are protecting someone close to you?"

"Yes, ma'am," Herb said.

"Knowing that you could go to Azkaban for a maximum of thirty years if you are proven guilty?" Bea asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Herb said.

"All right," Bea said, "Are you ready to tell your story, Mr. Morrison?"

"I am," Herb said.

"By all means," Bea said, "continue."

Herb started telling his story. The whole room was silent while he told the Wizengamot about his brother, how he had admired him, and how Geoff Morrison could have been a well-respected individual even today if certain events had not taken place. He then continued with the fateful day he had visited his brother at his house. He then explained how he had heard three people apparating into his brother's front yard.

"My brother then pushed me into living room closet and proceeded to the front door," he said, "I heard three voices. Voices I had never heard before in my life. Voices that scared me."

Hermione looked down at Lucius Malfoy. She noticed he was shifting uncomfortably.

"Then two men and a woman entered into the living room," Herb said, "And Geoff followed them in."

"Did you recognize any of these people?" Bea asked.

"At the time, no," Herb said.

"What do you mean?" Bea asked.

"As the years went by," Herb said, "Those two men and the woman's identities suddenly became clear to me."

"And who were they?" Bea asked.

"Rabastan and Bellatrix Lestrange," Herb said, "And Lucius Malfoy."

"Known to the world today as three of the convicted Death Eaters," Bea said, then turned her head, and Hermione knew she was looking at Lucius, "At least they were at the time."

"Yes, your Honor," Herb said.

"Continue," Bea said.

Herb continued his story. He put in detail how Lucius and Rabastan had held his brother down as Bellatrix applied the Dark Mark to his arm, then dragged him out of the room.

"Did you see your brother any time after the day of his eighteenth birthday?" Bea asked.

Herb nodded and continued his story. He told them how he hadn't seen his brother for three years, and when his brother found him, he asked his brother to leave the Death Eaters and run away into hiding. He also told them about the Daily Prophet clipping and how he had intentionally sabotaged that edition of the paper.

"And I haven't seen him since," Herb said, "I don't even know if he is alive."

"I assume you are hoping your brother is one of your witnesses," Bea said.

"It's a long shot," Herb said, "I know."

"All right," Bea said, "Mr. Morrison, you may leave the stand. As for your other witness, Mr. Peters. I think I know who he is. Would you like to introduce him yourself?"

"Yes, your Honor," Calvin said, "I call Lucius Malfoy to the stand."

Hermione stared at Lucius Malfoy. After about thirty seconds, Lucius Malfoy stood up and walked down to the central chair

"Silence," Bea said, preventing any remarks from the witches and wizards around the courtroom, "Let me make it perfectly clear that Lucius Malfoy has a Ministerial pardon against his charges as a Death Eater, and has promised that his dark days are over. I think this can be seen as Mr. Malfoy has agreed to take the stand. Mr. Malfoy, I assume you are here to back up Herb Morrison's story."

Lucius looked as if he was swallowing back something fierce.

"Yes, your Honor," he finally said.

"Were you, in fact, present in Geoff Morrison's house on the day Mr. Morrison is describing?" Bea asked, "Also referred to as Geoff Morrison's eighteenth birthday."

"Yes, Your Honor," Lucius said.

"Were Rabastan and Bellatrix Lestrange with you?" Bea asked.

"Yes, Your Honor," Lucius said again.

"Why did you visit Geoff Morrison on the day of his eighteenth birthday?" Bea asked.

"We were there," Lucius said, "because the Dar--"

He paused for a moment.

"I understand what you are trying to say," Bea said, "You may continue the way you want with it. I promise there will be no interruption."

She looked, with narrow eyes, around at the people in the courtroom.

"Sorry, Your Honor," he said, "We visited Geoff Morrison because Voldemort requested it."

"Had Geoff Morrison met with Voldemort before this date?" Bea asked.

"Yes," Lucius said, "I cannot tell you the details of it, because I was not present for it."

"Continue with what you do know, Mr. Malfoy," Bea said.

"Voldemort requested myself and the Lestranges to meet with Morrison," Lucius said, "And we were to brand him with the Dark Mark. It was an odd request, because Voldemort never allowed many people this privelege unless he trusted them. I don't know what Geoff did to gain Voldemort's trust. After he was branded, we took him back to Voldemort, where he became an official member of the Death Eaters. He--"

Suddenly, the doors of the court room opened and a man walked into the center of the courtroom. Lucius Malfoy looked at him with wide eyes. Hermione looked down at Herb Morrison, who looked as if he was about to cry.

"What is this intrusion?!" Bea asked, standing up.

"Sorry, Your Honor," the man said, "But I was under the impression that I had been invited here."

"Will you please tell us your name?" Bea asked.

"My current name is Daniel McMillan," the man said, "But I was born under the name of Geoffrey Morrison."

-------------------------------------  
**Cliffhanger! Okay, I know. Many of you guys probably saw that coming. But I had to go that way. This is getting very interesting. All of this I have written comes from my head, and I will understand if any of it could be too believable for canon, but this is the way I've imagined it. **

**More to come! Feedback would be wonderful.**


	22. Geoff's Story

**Chapter 22  
****Geoff's Story**

Like many of the witches and wizards in the courtroom, Hermione stared at Geoffrey Morrison. He did not look like the man, in the Daily Prophet clipping, who was growling at the camera. In Hermione's opinion, he looked like an older version of the boy in the picture that was taken the day of his graduation. His jet-black hair was short once again, and he had no facial hair. The only difference from the Head Boy he once was, was that he had no glasses now. He was wearing a business suit, complete with pants. Hermione noticed that the shirt's sleeves went all the way to his hands.

"You are the defendant's brother?" Bea asked.

"If Herb Morrison is the defendant you speak of," Geoff said, "Then yes, I am his brother."

"Mr. Morrison," Bea said, "Your brother has told us quite an interesting story about you. The man sitting on the stand right now has also confirmed his story. I really have no words for it."

"I've led a very interesting life, Your Honor," Geoff said.

"Would you like to tell us about it?" Bea said.

"If it will keep my brother out of prison," Geoff said, "I would only be happy to oblige."

"All right," Bea said, "You can return to your seat, Mr. Malfoy."

Lucius stood up. He and Geoff traded short glances at each other, then returned to his seat. Geoff sat down in the central chair and looked longingly at his brother, smiling.

"All right, Mr. Morrison," Bea said, "Tell us your story."

"I'm not exactly sure what my brother has told you," Geoff said, "Where should I start?"

"Lucius Malfoy spoke of you meeting with Voldemort sometime before your eighteenth birthday," Bea said, "Is this true?"

"A week before my eighteenth birthday, in fact," Geoff said.

"Why did you want to meet with Voldemort?" Bea asked.

"I assume you are asking me why I decided to become a Death Eater, Your Honor?" Geoff asked.

"Yes, Mr. Morrison," Bea said.

"If I know my brother," Geoff said, "He probably told you about my days at Hogwarts."

"He told us a few things yes," Bea said, "He explained how you were a top student, well-respected by your peers."

"I'm sure many of my fellow students would have told you that," Geoff said, chuckling, "Unfortunately, that's not all of it. I don't think they would be as compassionate if they knew the whole truth of my experience at school. It was the start of my seventh year. I was like many students going into their final year. I was very nervous about the whole thing. My reputation was quite well, and I didn't want to ruin it. I had searched for a way to improve my situation. I guess you could say I was trying to cure my anxiety. A couple weeks into the first term, a few students were passing out pieces of parchment, stating that what they offered could provide a brilliant future, not just in Hogwarts, but outside it. In reality, Your Honor, these were the youngest members of the group known as the Death Eaters."

"Voldemort was recruiting students in Hogwarts?" Bea asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Geoff said, "I would not discover the truth behind their quest for... oh... many weeks into the second term of my seventh year. I was inspired by their reasons. They told me that many members of their group led very promising lives and were destined to be a part of the high society of the wizarding world. Well, this is exactly where I wanted to go with my life. I couldn't resist. A couple weeks before graduation was our final meeting at Hogwarts. We were all supposed to meet Voldemort some time in the future. Someone would send a message to us. We would be informed where to go and when to be there. When the letter finally came, I met Voldemort. He basically interviewed me. He told me his recruits from Hogwarts had told him about me. He said he was very interested in me. After the interview, he told me someone would come by a week from then. That day was my eighteenth birthday."

Geoff paused for a moment, then continued.

"That day," he continued, "I waited and waited for the messenger to come by. I heard a knock on the door, and opened it, thinking it was them. It was my brother, Herb. He had come over to give me my birthday present. I couldn't have told him to leave. He would have asked me why, and I couldn't tell him. So I invited him in, hoping he would be gone from my house before the messenger was sent. During my brother's visit, the messengers came. I only expected one, but three came by. I hid my brother in the closet and invited the messengers in, praying they did not find Herb. They proceeded to give me what are called the Death Eater's Vows, and branded me with the Dark Mark."

"Could you show us the Dark Mark, Mr. Morrison?" Bea asked.

"I'm afraid that would be kind of impossible," Geoff said.

"Why is that?" Bea asked.

"The reasons why come later in my story," Geoff said.

"All right," Bea said, "Please continue."

"After they branded me," Geoff said, "They forced me out of the house and made me apparate with them. I arrived at a place where Voldemort and the Death Eaters were hiding at the time. From that moment on, I had become a Death Eater. Well, as I'm sure you know, later that year, Voldemort met his first downfall. The Death Eaters thought all was lost and that we were all doomed. So we ran. We fled from England, each into different countries, some as far as Russia as I've heard. I, myself, went to Ireland. Three years after my Branding Day, as the Death Eaters call it, fate played an interesting card. I picked up a Daily Prophet, interested in what was going on back home. I guess you could say I was home-sick. What should I find, but my brother's name. He had become an journalist. Around that time, I was once again confronted by one of my fellow Death Eaters, the same who branded me with my Dark Mark, Bellatrix Lestrange. She, too, had recognized my brother's name, and had given me a mission. She thought my brother could possibly become a threat to the Death Eaters. She didn't know he was a witness to my branding, though. She asked me to track down my brother. My mission was to recruit him into the Death Eaters, and he would become one of the Brand-less, those who were in our group, but didn't have the Dark Mark. We could only give the Dark Mark if Voldemort ordered it. Of course, Voldemort was gone at the time. If my brother didn't join the Death Eaters, I was ordered to kill him."

"How did you find your brother?" Bea asked.

"It was easier than I had imagined," Geoff continued, "He was still living at our parents' house. Though at the time, our mother and father were on holiday, so they never saw me. On my way to England, I started to have a change of heart. I knew I couldn't recruit my brother into the Death Eaters, and I wasn't going to kill him. So when I confronted him, I told him to run for his life, and said that if I could find him, the other Death Eaters could find him. Well, my brother has always been pretty brave. Brave enough for the both of us. He refused to run. In fact, he told me to run. Well, of course I had been thinking about it for some time, but I could never do it. It was his suggestion that made me do it. But I made a deal with him. Since he was the only person, outside the Death Eaters, who knew what I had become and knew I was alive, I made him promise to learn Legilimency and Occlumency in case anyone ever asked me about my whereabouts. I then said what I thought would be my final goodbye to him and ran off."

"You didn't go back to the Death Eaters?" Bea asked.

"I couldn't," Geoff said, "I had defied an order from a superior-ranked Death Eater. Unfortunately, it's very difficult to stop being a Death Eater, especially at the time when the whole wizarding world was looking for you and your group. I ran off back to Ireland, though far from my original hiding space. There I hid for two years, until a couple of Aurors found me and took me to an Irish prison. I escaped before they could take me back to England, and I knew I had to start my whole life over. I became Daniel McMillan and have lived with this name for fifteen years."

"You said that showing us the Dark Mark would be difficult," Bea said, "Why?"

"Well," Geoff said, "After I changed my name, I realized I still had the Dark Mark on my arm. If I was arrested again, they would still know what I was. So I tried to make it vanish. It was pretty painful, and I was only mostly successful. I guess what is left on my arm is my punishment and the proof of what I really was for a portion of my life."

Geoff rolled up the sleeve of his left arm, and showed his arm to everyone. The original tattoo was gone. What was left was what looked like scar tissue that partially resembled the Dark Mark. Parts of it were grotesquely reddish.

"Silence," Bea said, preventing another outbreak of murmurs and voices before it could start again.

She then looked back at Geoff.

"That is quite the story, Mr. Morrison," she said.

"I've lived with this secret for almost twenty years," Geoff said, "I only reveal it now to help my brother, and prove that his only connection to Death Eaters was that he was once a young witness to a terrible scene, and that his brother had made the wrong choices at a crucial time in his life."

"Thank you, Mr. Morrison," Bea said, "You may take a seat."

Geoff stood up and walked over to the chair beside his brother. When he sat down, his brother grasped him in a hug. Hermione felt a tear come to her eye and had to wipe it away quickly.

"Witches and wizards of the Wizengamot," Bea said. "We began this day prosecuting a man for his crimes for connections to Death Eaters. It has been revealed that during the Minister of Magic's interviews with the defendant Herb Morrison, Herb used Occlumency to block Franklin Sawyer from discovering a deep, dark secret that he has had to live with for twenty years. We have heard three stories from separate witnesses, one being the defendant himself. All have revealed their details in an event that changed the lives of two men forever. If you were to ask me what I believe, I would have to say this. Herb Morrison has committed no crime. If keeping a secret, locked away in the back of your mind to where even you almost forget about it, is a crime, then I'm sure you could call many of us in here criminals."

Many of the witches and wizards in the courtroom nodded and sent murmurs to each other.

"Silence," Bea said, yet again, "Herb Morrison was a very young man when he witnessed a terrible act that someone very close to him was being put through. I guess the only question I have to ask to the Wizengamot is this: is the defendant in front of you guilty of the crime he has been charged with? All in favor of claiming guilt to Herbert Morrison, raise your hand."

None of the Wizengamot raised their hand.

"All in favor of clearing the accused of all charges," Bea continued, "Raise your hand."

Bea was the first to raise her hand, and in a wave around the courtroom, the Wizengamot all raised their hand.

"Cleared of all charges," Bea said.

Before the witches and wizards in the courtroom could react, Kingsley stood up.

"That is fine!" Kingsley said, "That is good. Herb Morrison has committed no crime. However! There is one man in this courtroom who is guilty!"

Many of the witches and wizards in the courtroom murmured to each other, some in loud voices. Kingsley pointed one hand at Geoff Morrison.

"Three people, including Geoffrey Morrison himself," Kingsley said, "Have given testimony to the fact that Geoff Morrison is a Death Eater. As Minister of Magic, I order the Wizengamot to judge him of his crimes at this very moment!"

A couple of Wizengamot members near Bea leaned over to her and started talking in hushed whispers. Bea nodded and stood up. Then Geoff Morrison stood up again.

"Your Honor," he said, "Minister. May I speak in my defense?"

"I think you have that privilege," Bea said, "Wouldn't you agree, Minister?"

Kingsley visibly sighed and looked around the room.

"Let him speak!" a man's voice said.

"Give him a say in his defense, Minister!" a woman said.

"Order!" Bea said, tapping her wand on the table in front of her, then looked at Kingsley.

Kingsley nodded and motioned for Geoff to continue.

"Thank you," Geoff said, "I am very aware of the charges the Minister of Magic have set against me. I knew when I came out of hiding that this might happen. But I did it anyway. I came here to help my brother get rid of the terrible charges that had been set against him, and I succeeded. My brother sacrificed a lot for me. He has kept this secret locked away for me. He almost went to Azkaban for me, and would have gone if I remained a coward. Twenty years ago, I made a very bad decision, and unfortunately I had included my brother in that decision. Thankfully, I didn't do anything worse, or this man in front of me, and in front of all of you, might not have even been here to tell you what he had witnessed as a young boy."

He looked at Herb, then looked around at the Wizengamot, and the Minister.

"Seventeen years ago," he continued, "a young man just starting down the road of adulthood taught me a lesson. When we were both in Hogwarts, he idolized me. I was the one who was supposed to show him how to succeed. I was supposed to pick him up when he fell. No, it wasn't our father's job. It was my job. I failed him. When he was still in the prime of his youth, Herb Morrison witnessed his brother, his idol, make a very wrong decision. He watched his brother not only fail him, but fail himself. I had quite the burden on my shoulders. As a boy of seventeen, it felt like the weight of the world. I had to show my brother how to succeed, and I couldn't even succeed myself. Oh, I was the Head Boy and the boy everyone looked up to and everyone named as the boy who was most likely to succeed and become Minister of Magic in his life. I let the praise get to me. It basically destroyed me, destroyed my confidence. So I made the wrong choices and set down the wrong path. I say it again. Seventeen years ago, my brother taught me a lesson. When I should have been the teacher, I was, in fact, the student."

He looked down at scarred left arm.

"My brother taught me to forgive myself," he said, "He told me 'Run, Geoff. Run and leave the Death Eaters. Run and don't look back.' I did. It took me two more years to run, but I did. It wasn't until my capture and escape that Herb Morrison's words sunk into my brain. From that moment on, I was never a Death Eater. Some people say that you can't stop being a Death Eater, but I say they are wrong!"

He pointed up at Lucius.

"Lucius Malfoy," Geoff said, "the one-time Death Eater who held my arm down while Bellatrix Lestrange applied the Dark Mark onto my skin, has been pardoned of his crimes. Lucius, be honest with me. Can you honestly say to everyone in this courtroom today that you are no longer a Death Eater?"

Lucius stood up.

"I have been pardoned of my crime," he said, "Like you said."

"Oh yes," Geoff said, "You have been pardoned. But pardon is only a word, no matter how official it sounds. Such as pardon the interruption, or pardon my intrusion. Well, pardon me, Lucius Malfoy, but can you show us your left arm?"

Lucius only stared at Geoff.

"I am not on trial here," he said.

"I'd like to see this too, Mr. Malfoy," Bea said, "Please show us your arm."

Lucius sighed and pulled back the sleeve of his shirt. The Dark Mark was still clearly visible.

"It's only a mark," Lucius said, to the gasps and murmurs of the crowd.

"Yes," Geoff said, "Only a mark. A mark that I once had, but have painfully erased, just like I erased my past and started over. I ask again, Lucius. Can you honestly say you are no longer a Death Eater, even if you still have the mark?"

"That part of me was over long before Voldemort fell at the Battle of Hogwarts," Lucius said.

"You see!" Geoff said, to the crowd, as Lucius sat back down, "You can stop being a Death Eater! It doesn't take a pardon from the Minister of Magic to give you that right. You have to earn it yourself. Fifteen years ago, I set out on that path and earned that right. So the Minister may lock me away in chains, the Wizengamot may call me guilty, but I am no longer a Death Eater. The Minister may say that I deserve to pay for my crimes. Oh, but I have. With this!"

He raised his scarred left arm again, then pointed at Herb.

"And I have paid for my crimes," he said, "when I no longer became the twinkle in a young man's eye. I may have lost five years of my life due to my terrible choices as a youth, but my brother has lost twenty years of his life because of me. Because he had to hold back a terrible secret. That knowledge, the thought of what I did to him, is the cost I paid for my choices. I say it one more time. The Minister may lock me in chains, and the Wizengamot may call me guilty, but I am not a Death Eater!"

He looked around the room, then looked at his brother.

"Not anymore," he said.

He sat down in the center chair and looked up at Bea.

"Thank you, Mr. Morrison," Bea said, "It looks like we have a decision to make."

Suddenly, one of the elder Wizengamot stood up.

"If I may, Your Honor," he said, "I would like to suggest that the Minister give Geoff Morrison a full pardon from his crimes. It is obvious this young man is no longer a Death Eater, and no longer a threat to the wizarding world. He made the wrong choices as a youth, but that shouldn't be a surprise. Many of us have made wrong choices in our time. Some of them were made even years past our youth. I vote that the Wizengamot and the Minister of Magic grant a full Ministerial pardon on Geoff Morrison."

The elder sat back down.

"Thank you," Bea said. "I actually agree with that statement. Geoff Morrison is a man who realizes his mistakes. Each and every day, I see people come into these courtrooms who are indeed criminals, and many of them never realize their mistakes. They all think they are innocent. Geoff Morrison has already claimed that he was guilty for a period of his life. So, I will say this. Those who feel Geoff Morrison is still guilty for his crimes as a Death Eater, raise your hand."

A handful of wizards raised their hand. Hermione wanted to yell at them, but she figured that these people probably had family members who were victims of Death Eaters, and they couldn't let their past leave them.

"Very well," Bea said, "Those who feel Geoff Morrison is innocent of his crimes and feel that the Minister of Magic should give him a full pardon, raise your hand."

Bea put her hand up, as did most of the Wizengamot.

"Minister Shacklebolt," Bea said, "It looks like it is up to you."

Minister Shacklebolt stood up and looked around at the crowd, who were all staring back at him. He then walked over to Geoff and looked at him.

"Stand up," he said, to Geoff.

Geoff stood up.

"Geoffrey Morrison," he said, "I, Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt, hereby... give you a full Ministerial pardon for your crimes and hope that you are indeed a changed man. For if you are not, you will be back in here and I doubt even the Wizengamot would claim you innocent."

He offered his hand and Geoff took it. Most of the witches and wizards in the room, including Hermione, stood up and applauded. This time, Bea Haven did not request order in the court.

-------------------------------  
Fifteen minutes later, Hermione and Susan both made their way out of the courtroom, in search of two men. They found them standing against the wall, embracing in a hug. Hermione grinned as she and Susan walked over to them.

"I am going to take a guess," Geoff said, "And say that it was one of you two ladies who sent me that letter."

"I did," Susan said, "But it was partially Hermione's idea as well."

"Well, then I have to thank both of you," Geoff said, "You reunited me with my brother after seventeen years."

"I think it us who should thank you," Susan said, "If it wasn't for you, Herb would probably be on his way to Azkaban right now."

"It was my duty," Geoff said, "I owed it to my brother since the day I pushed him into that closet."

Suddenly, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy appeared out of the crowd and walked over to them.

"Lucius, my slippery friend," Geoff said, "I guess I should thank you, as well, for helping my brother."

"I didn't do it for you," Lucius said.

He looked at Susan, then looked at Herb.

"This young lady," he said to Herb, motioning to Susan, "Promised me something in return for my testimony. She promised me that, if you ended this day as a free man, my wife would be free of her duties, and that any file that states me or any of the Malfoy Family as Death Eaters be destroyed, never to be seen again. If I am not mistaken, Herb, you are a free man, are you not?"

"Yes, I am," Herb said, "And I give my promise to you, Mr. Malfoy, that I will do my best to fulfill your request."

"Good," Lucius said, "I believe that is all then. Gentleman... ladies... farewell."

He stared at Geoff for about ten seconds, then walked away with his wife.

"How about lunch?" Geoff asked the three of them, "My treat. Is the Leaky Cauldron still around?"

Herb laughed.

"Yes, dear brother," he said, "It is still around. And lunch sounds just fine."

-----------------------------  
Twenty minutes later, they were all sitting around a table in the Leaky Cauldron.

"Here you are," Tom said, passing around four bottles of butterbeer, "And lunch will be coming right up as well."

Tom walked away, and Geoff suddenly chuckled.

"I can't believe ol' Tom is still the barman here," Geoff said, "Do you remember, Herb, the summer before my last year at Hogwarts? I tried to ask Tom for a couple bottles of firewhiskey for us?"

Herb laughed.

"He almost banned both of us for life that day!" Herb said, chuckling.

"We had to scrub the whole floor here just so he wouldn't tell Mum," Geoff said, then looked at the floor, "Still as grimy as ever. Some things never change."

"So, Geoff," Susan said, "What will you be doing now?"

"Well," Geoff said, "After I treat you two young ladies to lunch, Herb and I are going to visit our parents. I think they deserve to know that their oldest son is still around."

"Are you going to stay in England?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, no," Geoff said, shaking his head, "I'm still Daniel McMillan in Ireland. I promised my wife and kids I'd be back in time for dinner. I'm just thankful I get to keep this promise."

"You have a family?" Herb asked.

"Oh, yes," Geoff said, "I have a boy and a girl. My boy's name is Herb."

Herb smiled and wiped a tear from his eye.

"And my little girl's name is Sarabeth," Geoff said.

"After our mother," Herb said, grinning.

Geoff nodded.

"Do they know?" Herb asked.

"Do they know my true identity and that I was once a Death Eater?" Geoff said, then shook his head, "No. You're not the only Morrison whose been keeping secrets, little brother."

Herb frowned, then nodded.

"I reckon this is a secret that needs to be kept," he said.

Geoff nodded once again. Hermione looked at Susan and smiled. She knew that, not only had they succeeded in keeping Herb out of Azkaban, but they had also succeeded in reuniting two long-lost brothers. For the first time in a few days, Hermione felt better then ever.

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**Chapter finished! Whew, this was an emotional chapter. As I was writing Geoff's speech, I kept picturing as if it would happen in a movie. I didn't know I could write it so well.**

Hope you liked it! Feedback would be great!


	23. Harpies vs Chudley Cannons

**Chapter 23  
****Harpies vs. Chudley Cannons**

**Author's Note: First off, I will answer a reviewer's question. A reviewer asked me why Herb Morrison used Occlumency to protect his brother, then revealed his story later. Well, when I thought about Herb's story about his brother, I figured I'd do a nice little storyline where he reunited with his brother, and his brother saved Herb from going to Azkaban. Also, I didn't convict Geoff because he hadn't been a Death Eater for many years, much longer than Lucius hadn't, and I felt he needed to be redeemed for his mistakes. All right. I am going to skip some time once again, and I will describe important events during that time, at the beginning of this chapter. **

The day after Herb Morrison's trial, the Daily Prophet recorded their best sales hike since the news broke out about Voldemort's defeat at the Battle of Hogwarts. Herb, Geoff and Lucius Malfoy's stories from the trial all became three different articles in the Daily Prophet. A couple hours after Hermione said goodbye to Geoff, the Daily Prophet had caught up with him and demanded an interview. He accepted. They had asked him if he could identify any of the people who had recruited students at Hogwarts for the Death Eaters. He said he couldn't, but guessed that every one of those former students probably perished some time during the Second War. An article also showed up in the Daily Prophet about Geoffrey reuniting with his parents. A picture above the article showed him hugging his parents, both whom were quiet tearful.

Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt took quite a lot of heat from both the Daily Prophet and the public after the trial. Even though he had granted Geoff Morrison full pardon, the Daily Prophet reporters still recognized the Minister's hesitation to do so. He was also criticized for his excessive interrogations with Herb Morrison during the week prior to the trial. At one point during the day after the trial, as many as three dozen owls found their way into the Minister's office, all with letters addressed to him. The Minister's distraught secretary also told reporters that he had heard quite a disturbance in the Minister's office when the Minister was out for lunch. The secretary rushed into the Minister's office, only to find that hundreds of letters were shooting out of the fireplace as well. The Minister denied rumors that many of those letters demanded his resignation.

Meanwhile, the Minister continued his investigations over the next few weeks, and the Daily Prophet reported that those investigations had been centered right at the Daily Prophet, and at the Minister's own personal staff.

The Monday after his trial, Herbert Morrison was back in his regular chair with the Wizengamot. He had hired a new staff member to replace Narcissa Malfoy as well. He even offered to promote Hermione, but Hermione declined, saying that she was happy being Court Respondent for a while. Herb accepted this, though he gave her a considerable raise. On her next pay statement, Morrison had attached a small note to it. The note read:

_The Morrison family hopes you accept this pay raise, but know that all the Galleons in the world could not express our gratitude._Hermione's handkerchief had been soaked by the time she mopped up her tears.

Harry and Ron's results of their trial exams came a week after their exam. Both had passed with flying colors. The training got more fierce as they had to prepare for the second of four exams that would come the following month. After the end of each day, Harry and Ron were both quite tired from the results of their training.

Meanwhile, Ginny's Quidditch training was just as fierce as ever. Three new plays were created during the rest of training camp. These plays, as well as the twenty-point play were practiced over and over again until they were finally perfected only a couple days before the first game of the season. The day before the game, the team was allowed to rest. According to Gwenog, it wasn't just a request, it was an order. Ginny was thankful for it. She definitely needed it if she was going to do well in their game against the Chudley Cannons.

**--------------------------------------**

**(Ginny's PoV)**Saturday, the day of the Harpies-Cannons game, Ginny was awake bright and early. In fact, she was awake at four in the morning, a couple hours before the sun would even raise. Plain and simple, she was just too excited to sleep. She also had too many thoughts going through her head. She walked over to her closet and took out the large knapsack that was used for carrying her Quidditch uniform and everything else she needed for Quidditch. She opened it up, then rummaged around for something and pulled it out. It was a notebook that was full of plays and strategies. She turned on the small lamp on her bedside table and started to read the notebook.

On each page was a drawing of the full Pitch. There were also seven O's that were supposed to be the Harpies, and seven X's that were supposed to be the opposition. Each O and X were color-coordinated: yellow for the Seeker, black for the Beaters green for the Chasers and Red for the Keeper. The O's moved around the Pitch in a way that was supposed to represent the designated play. Ginny studied these plays until they were locked in her mind, then studied the hand-signals that Gwenog was supposed to signal to the Chasers to tell them what play she wanted them to do.

By the time she was finished, it was a little past six-o-clock. The game would be starting in six hours, and she was due in the Harpies stadium in five. A few days before, Gwenog took the team to the stadium so they could practice at their home turf. She also did this so those who didn't know where the stadium was could apparate there without getting lost. Ginny was also given ten tickets for her friends and family. She had given them to Harry, Ron, Hermione, her parents, Hermione's parents, George, Angelina and Bill.

After she had gone through all the plays and signals in her notebook, Ginny then treated her broom with the Broom Servicing Kit Ron had given her for her birthday. While she was doing waxing the broom, she heard a knock on her door.

"I'm awake, Harry," Ginny said, "Come in."

The door opened and Harry walked into the room.

"Just checking if you were awake or not," Harry said.

"I've been awake for almost three hours," Ginny said.

"Couldn't sleep?" Harry asked.

Ginny shook her head.

"Too excited," she said.

Harry chuckled.

"I see you're preparing yourself for the game," he said.

"As much as I can," Ginny said, "Want to know something funny?"

"Sure," Harry said.

"For some reason, I still don't feel it is enough," Ginny said.

"Oh, you were bound to feel like that, Ginny," Harry said, "It's pre-match jitters."

"But I shouldn't feel like this," Ginny said, "I've been playing Quidditch for a few years now."

"Yeah," Harry said, "But this is your first professional Quidditch game. All of the Hogwarts games were small-time compared to this."

"Yeah, that's what Gwenog said," Ginny said, nodding, "She said this game will be much different than anything we've ever played before."

"She's right," Harry said, "Professional Quidditch is rough. When we watched the Quidditch World Cup a few years ago, I've never seen anything like it. It was different than any Quidditch game I had been in."

"That's the way the Professional Quidditch League is," Ginny said.

"Well, I tell you what," Harry said, "I'll make breakfast. Maybe that will make you feel better."

"Sure", Ginny said, smiling..

Harry smiled and left the room. Ginny dressed into normal clothes and picked up her broom and knapsack, then went downstairs for breakfast.

-----------------------------------------

At a quarter till eleven, Ginny magically transported her broom and knapsack to the Harpies stadium.

"You'll be coming soon?" Ginny asked Harry, as they stood in the backyard.'

"Hermione's parents are picking me up after they pick up Ron and Hermione," Harry said, nodding.

"All right," Ginny said, "I'll look for you in the stands."

"We'll be the ones cheering the loudest," Harry said.

"I know," Ginny said, "And Ron will be the only one cheering for the Cannons."

Harry laughed. Ginny kissed him quickly, then backed up. She concentrated on the picture of the Harpies Locker Room in her mind and apparated. A moment, and a crack, later, Ginny appeared just outside the Harpies Locker Room.

She walked in, and saw Gwenog Jones and Big Bertha hunched over in their lockers, and Roxy Waters was doing sit-ups a few feet from Ginny.

"Hey, Ginny!" Roxy said, "Excited?"

"Yep," Ginny said, though with less gusto then she hoped for.

"Nervous too, I see," Roxy said.

"A bit," Ginny admitted.

"It's natural," Roxy said, "Even the captain gets nervous on game-day. Don't you, Cap?!"

"There you go again, Rox," Gwenog said, "Admitting my deepest darkest secrets for me again. Thanks."

Roxy laughed. Ginny walked over to her locker and opened it up. As soon as she did, she heard a big booming sound coming from somewhere nearby, though not in the locker-room, as a result, Bertha hit her head on the top of her locker.

"Oh, damn it!" Bertha said, rubbing the top of her head, "They're going to start that stuff already?!"

"Guess so," Roxy said.

"What is that bloody racket?!" a voice said in a sharp French accent, from the other end of the locker room.

Chastity, Regina and Liliana all emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in towels, looking soaked. Ginny guessed that the sound must have interrupted their showers.

"It's okay, Liliana," Gwenog said, staring at the wall, "It's the Cannons pre-game ritual."

"Banging their hands and helmets and whatever else," Roxy said, "on the wall that leads to their opponents locker room."

"Yeah!" Chastity said, "Aren't we lucky?"

"It's partially why they're called the Cannons," Gwenog said, "They make a racket the sound of a bloody cannon."

"We're not intimidated!" Roxy yelled at the wall, "You can cut that out!"

"Smooth, Rox," Bertha said, "Very smooth."

Ginny started to change into her outfit, trying her best to ignore the noises coming from the Cannons locker room. As she put on her pads, the racket finally stopped.

"Thank Merlin!" Liliana said, "I thought they'd never quit!"

Suddenly another noise was heard. Regina Kavoff started to say something in Bulgarian, and it sounded like curse words.

"It's not the Cannons this time." Bertha said, looking up at the ceiling.

"It isn't?" Ginny asked.

"Nope," Bertha said, "That, Ginny, is what we like to refer to as our most loyal fans. First to arrive at every game, and the last to leave."

"And first to tell you if you're the worst player on the team," Chase said.

Ginny ignored Chase. It seemed there was still a heated rivalry between the two of them.

"Hey, Cap!" Roxy said, "How many people are we expecting today in the stands?"

"Near full capacity, the last time I heard," Gwenog said.

"All right!" Roxy said, "The more the merrier, I always say."

"Rox, when have you ever said that?" Chase said.

"All right, ladies," Gwenog said, "You know the drill. Let's get out on the Pitch for pre-game warm-ups. Let's give our fans a sneak preview of our season, what do you say?"

Ginny tied her boots up tight and picked up her broom, then followed the other players out onto the Pitch. The Cannons players were already in the air on the farthest side of the Pitch, but as soon as Ginny and the others went into the air, the Cannons dove out of the air and landed on the ground.

"Don't like to share the air, do they?" Ginny asked Roxy, as they watched the Cannons walk back toward the locker room.

"No," Roxy said, "They want us to think they have a top-secret play system. Part of their intimidation strategy. Well, you have to give them that. If they didn't have intimidation in their strategy, they'd have no strategy at all."

"All right, Rox!" Gwenog said, "Enough chatter. Get over to the rings. We're going to do two-on-ones. I'll be the lone Chaser."

Roxy flew around Ginny and over to the rings. One of the ground staff threw the Quaffle up to Gwenog who caught it. Gwenog passed the Quaffle to Chastity, then flew to the end of the Pitch. Chants of "Go Harpies" and Holyhead! Harpies! Holyhead! Harpies!" were started from the fans who were already sitting in the stands. Ginny grinned and waved at them.

"Hey, Weasley!" Chase yelled.

Ginny turned to Chase.

"Are you ready or are you going to sit there and wave your arms?" Chase asked

"I'm ready," Ginny said, blushing.

"Good," Chase said, "Because if you do that during a game, you're going to get knocked out by a Bludger and I'm not going to sweep you up off the ground, you got me?"

"Yeah, sure," Ginny said.

"Good," Chase said, again, "Can we start now?"

"Sure," Ginny said again.

"Well, you go first, remember?" Chase asked.

"Oh, right," Ginny said.

Ginny sighed, cursing at herself mentally for not paying attention. Chase may be strict and a pain in the backside sometimes, but Ginny knew she was right that time. Ginny sped off down toward the rings.

-------------------------

After a twenty-minute warm-up, Gwenog called everyone down to the ground.

"All right," Gwenog said, after she followed everyone back into the locker room, "Great warm-up, but I have a couple complaints. First up, Beaters! Don't go chasing after the same Bludger, girls. Regina, I kept seeing you go after the one Big Bertha tries to hit. Remember, there are two of them."

Regina nodded.

"Second," Gwenog said, "This isn't really a complaint. More of a question. Chase, at the start of warm-up, you were delayed. May I ask why?"

Chastity looked at Ginny, who nodded. Chastity looked back at Gwenog.

"Weasley had a few pre-match jitters," Chase said, "I was just trying to help her get accustomed to the crowd."

"Understandable," Gwenog said, "Professional Quidditch games have a lot more fans than school games. One of the more unknown strategies in Quidditch is home-field advantage, especially with more popular teams. It's a strategy, but it is also can be bad news. The crowds try to help us by confusing the other team and keeping them from hearing themselves. Unfortunately, it can also hurt us as well. It's understandable for rookies, though, so I'll let it pass for now, Ginny."

Ginny nodded, then looked back at Chase. Why was she sticking up for her, especially when Chase knew that Ginny was a threat to her?

"All right," Gwenog said, "This is the first game of the season. We got three new excellent players, a whole new strategy, and a new season to look forward to."

She looked around at the team.

"I have to admit something, girls," Gwenog said, "When I heard that many Quidditch players were going to go on strike, I wasn't very happy. Then I heard that three of my players, my friends, that I've played with for a few years, decided to join the strike and leave the team. Ginny, Regina, Liliana, I will say this right now. If the strike ended in five minutes, and Ice, and the other two girls came marching in the locker room, I would march them back out right again. The three of you have given me new hope. Over the last month, I've seen you all work your tails off for this team. Ginny, Liliana and Regina, I've never seen any rookies before you work as hard as you did. Every day after practice, I saw you beat tired. But you came back the next day and still did your best. I think we have a superb team this year. Earlier we talked about our fans out there."

She pointed out toward the pitch.

"Those fans come back every year," Gwenog said, "They don't care about a player strike. They don't care about money. They care about the game. They care about us. So let's give them what they want. Let's give them the game they've paid to see!"

"All right, Quidditch fans!" the announcer's voice echoed into the locker room, "Let's give a warm welcome to the opposition, the Chudley Cannons!"

Ginny heard a bunch of booing, and some cheering.

"All right," Gwenog said, "There's our call. Hands together, Harpies!"

The other players stood up and put their hands out and Ginny followed suit. Gwenog was last.

"One, two, three," she said.

"Go Harpies!" the team said.

Ginny, Gwenog and the rest of the players walked out of the locker room with brooms in hand.

"And now," the announcer said, "Quidditch fans. Here are your Holyhead Harpies!"

"Go, go, go!" Gwenog said, as she flew into the sky.

Ginny followed Gwenog into the sky, as the rest of the team followed her.

"De Pierre, Kavoff, Weasley, Biggs, Crowe, Waters, and Jones!" the announcer called out.

Ginny followed Gwenog as the team flew around the Pitch. The crowd cheered in an almost ear-piercing roar of excitement. Gwenog then went to the center of the field, across from the Cannons players. Ginny went to her left, and Chase went to Gwenog's right. Ginny looked around at the crowd for Harry and the others, and found them cheering in some seats near the announcer's tower.

"All right!" a voice said below the players.

Ginny looked down. A short man in a referee's outfit was hovering below the players on a broomstick that must have towered over the man when he stood next to it. Ginny noticed a large chest in his hands.

'Captains!" the referee said, "Please shake hands!"

Gwenog reached her left hand out and the Cannons captain, who was also a Chaser, extended his right. Gwenog shook it.

"I will now release the balls!" the referee said, then opened the chest.

He unlocked the Bludgers from their latches, and they flew off in neck-breaking speed in two different directions. He then opened two little doors on the underbelly of the chest's top, and took out the Snitch, then let it go. The little golden ball flew off into the sky and toward the Cannons' rings. Ginny lost it, but when she looked at Liliana, it looked as if she was looking right at it. The Cannons Seeker, however, was looking right at Liliana. One of their Beaters, a female, jabbed the Seeker with her elbow, and the Seeker shook his head and looked as if he had just woken up from a particularly good dream.

"There goes the Snitch!" the announcer said, "Remember, that is what the Seekers have to catch in order for the game to end. Whoever catches it, earns one hundred and fifty points for their team, and it usually wins their team the game! Not always, though. We've seen plenty of games, including World Cup games, where it went the other way!"

"Let me give you a friendly season-opener reminder," the referee said, "I know there are a few rookies this year. I've been a Quidditch referee for many years. In every game I've overseen, I say this before I even release this Quaffle. I want a nice clean game from all of you. We don't need no injuries or worse today. And with that..."

He blew his whistle and threw the Quaffle into the air. Ginny knew she wouldn't be the one to catch it, so she flew toward the opposing rings.

"And Harpies captain Gwenog Jones takes the Quaffle!" the announcer said, "And she heads down the Pitch!"

Ginny watched Gwenog as she flew in and out of the opposing Chasers, and away from a well-hit Bludger that would have hit her broom if she didn't turn left at the right moment. Ginny waved her arms to say she was open, and Gwenog threw her the Quaffle. Ginny caught it and headed down the Pitch. She ducked the same Bludger that almost hit Gwenog, and headed for the rings. She looked behind her. Cannon Chasers were headed her way, but Gwenog and Chase weren't open. She sped down the Pitch and before she knew it, she was just yards from the rings. She had to make a decision now. She headed for the right ring and faked a shot toward it, then through it toward the left ring. It sailed through!

"And the newest Harpies Chaser makes her first score of the season!" the announcer said, "And its the first score of the game! Great fake too! Harpies lead ten to zero."

As Ginny flew past Gwenog, she saw the captain give her a thumbs up.

"The Snitch is nowhere to be seen, and the Quaffle is back in play!" the announcer said.

Suddenly, before Ginny knew it, one of the Cannons Chasers had the Quaffle and was zooming right between her and Gwenog.

"Bloody hell!" Gwenog said, "That guy is fast."

She started down the Pitch and Ginny followed her. Ginny saw Chase get right up by the Cannons Chaser and bump into him. He bumped back and Chase got hit hard as she flew away, looking a little dazed. Ginny knew she had to do something. She flew around the perimeter of the Pitch. Behind her, Big Bertha hit a Bludger toward the Cannon who had the Quaffle. Another Chaser alerted him just in time and he ducked. This gave Ginny the time she needed. She flew toward the rings. The Cannons Chaser threw the Quaffle and Ginny flew right for it as it sailed toward the rings and caught it about seven feet before it could sail through the rings.

"Interception by Weasley!" the announcer said, "What a player!"

Ginny started down the Pitch, but saw the three Cannons Chasers come right at her.

"Ginny!" Chase's voice called out somewhere behind her.

Ginny looked around and saw Chase just below her. She threw the Quaffle to her, then sped under the Cannons Chasers and toward the opposing rings. Gwenog raised a hand up and Ginny saw two fingers raised on the hand. Gwenog wanted the twenty-point play, and Ginny knew she had to be a big part of it. Ginny sped down the field as Chastity was flying toward the rings on the other side of the field, all three Cannons Chasers and a well-aimed Bludger flying toward her. Suddenly Big Bertha hit the Bludger toward the Cannons Chasers and all three of them had to fly out of the way in order for it to not hit one of them.

"Oh! And Big Bertha frees Chase of her pursuers!" the announcer said, "Nice hit!'

Ginny saw Gwenog fly behind the rings, and Ginny flew toward the right ring as Chase flew toward the left. Chase attempted a score... and it sailed through the left ring! Gwenog then immediately caught the Quaffle and threw it to Ginny. Ginny didn't expect this, but caught the Quaffle by her fingertips then immediately threw it toward the left ring! And...

"It sailed through! There it is, Quidditch fans," the announcer said to the cheering Harpies fans, "The legendary twenty-point play! And just like that, the Harpies lead by thirty!"

Fifteen minutes later, the game was still as fierce as ever. Ginny, though tired as ever, scored two of three more attempts, while Gwenog and Chase each scored an attempt of their own. On the Cannons side, they scored three of five attempts all by the Captain, who was faster than any Chaser Ginny had seen in Hogwarts. The score was now seventy to thirty, and Ginny had the Quaffle again.

She flew down the Pitch, swerving in and out of Cannons Chasers and a poorly aimed Bludger. She saw the other Bludger coming her way and passed the Quaffle to Gwenog who was near, then dove down toward the ground, then back up, sliding her feet across the grass and pushing up into the sky toward the rings. Gwenog and Chase were both passing to each other as the headed toward the rings. Ginny didn't know if Gwenog had signaled for another twenty point play, but it looked like they were going for it. Ginny flew toward the rings.

"After a close crash, Weasley gets herself situated," the announcer said, "And attempts to catch up to her team mates and – oh! Was that the Snitch?! It is! And the new Harpies Seeker goes for it! And so does the Cannons Seeker!"

Ginny hoped Liliana could catch the Snitch before the Cannons Seeker did, otherwise they would lose the game. But Ginny couldn't think about that now. Gwenog was getting closer to the rings, and the Cannons Chasers were closing in on her. Suddenly, as Ginny flew closer to the rings, Gwenog passed the Quaffle to Chase, and got pummeled by the Cannons Chasers.

"Oh!" the announcer said, "And there's the Cannon's signature tackle! But Gwenog passed it to Chase just in time!"

Ginny didn't have time to see if Gwenog was all right. The Cannons Chasers were now charging for Chase. She had to get up there. Ginny flew as fast as she could up toward Chase and her pursuers. Chase was flying back and forth, trying to avoid the Cannons Chasers, and Ginny saw Chase spot her. Chase threw the Quaffle to Ginny, and Ginny caught it then flew up into the air and over the surprised opposition. She flew toward the rings.

"What speed!" the announcer said, "Weasley, the lone Harpies Chaser, heads for the rings. And on the other side of the field, Liliana De Pierre is in quick pursuit of the Snitch, and the Cannons Seeker is closing in behind her!"

Ginny headed for the rings. Right in front of her, Big Bertha passed her and hit a Bludger away from her, and it sailed toward the Cannons Keeper, who flew out of the way. Ginny attempted a shot right through the middle ring... and it sailed through!"

"Score!" the announcer said, "Nice hit by Big Bertha to get the Keeper away from the rings, and Weasley goes right in for the score! Oh, and the Seekers are going right after that Snitch. Looks like the game is about to end. Who is going to get the Snitch? The Seekers are right by each other. Closing in.... closing in... closing – oh! The Snitch takes a wild dive, and only De Pierre isn't fooled as she dives after it. Getting closer! She reaches for it... and she catches it! The Harpies win! The Harpies win!!"

Ginny cheered as Liliana flew around the Pitch, the Snitch in her hand. Ginny then saw Gwenog and Chase fly over to her. Gwenog looked a little dazed.

"You okay, Cap?" Ginny asked.

"Never thought I'd be on the wrong end of the Cannons signature play," Gwenog said, "But I'm fine. Come on, let's take a victory lap."

Ginny grinned and followed Gwenog and Chase around the Pitch as the other Harpies joined in.

------------------------------  
About half an hour later, Ginny was in her regular clothes after getting cleaned up. Ginny and her teammates were gathered in the locker room.

"Impressive game, girls!" Gwenog said, "Liliana, I was watching that last pursuit for the Snitch and I must say... great dive! That little golden ball couldn't fool you, could it?"

Liliana shook her head and grinned.

"After every game we win," Gwenog said, "I get to give out the game ball. Today, I give it to a girl who has impressed me more than any other player out there today. She showed guts. She showed what it is like to be a member of the Harpies! The game ball... goes to Ginny!"

Ginny grinned as Gwenog threw her a small version of the Quaffle. Bertha and Roxy both patted her on the back.

"Just don't ask me for a speech," Ginny said, grinning, "Not my strong point."

Everyone laughed.

"All right," Gwenog said, "One more thing. After every game we win, this has always been my tradition. So, on Monday, you will have a day off. No practice. But our next game is in just two weeks. So on Tuesday, I expect you to practice as good as ever. For now, celebrate with your friends and families. I'm sure they want to congratulate you!"

Ginny grinned and walked out of the locker room. A group of fans were cheering for them all, and Ginny saw Harry, Ron, Hermione and the others talking at the back wall. She immediately walked through the cheering crowd and over to them. They saw her and cheered for her and patted her back. Harry hugged her and Ginny kissed his cheek.

"So what did you think, Mr. Granger?" Ginny asked Hermione's father.

"That," Richard said, "was much more exciting than the football game I went to!"

"Hey, Ginny!" Roxy's voice called through the crowd.

Ginny turned.

"The girls are going to get a bite to eat at the Leaky Cauldron!" Roxy said, "You want to come? They can come too. Tom has given us the whole bar if we won the game."

"Sounds great!" Ginny said, then turned to Harry and the others, "What do you say?"

Everyone nodded and agreed. An hour later, at the Leaky Cauldron, the bar was filled with the Harpies players and their friends and family. Ginny grinned as she looked around. Her nerves that she had felt earlier that day had all vanished. She felt like a real Quidditch player now.

-------------------------------------------------  
**A/N: Sorry for the delay. I had a lot of trouble writing that Quidditch game. It has been a while since I wrote a game, and had to think about it.**

**  
Right now, I'm having a bit of writer's block, but I will try to get through it. Hopefully the next chapter will come before too long.**

**For now, feedback would be great!**


	24. The Greengrass Home

**Chapter 24  
The Greengrass Home**

**Author's Note: Okay, so writer's block has officially found me once again. I am searching for possible ways to continue this story. The only problem I have is one that usually haunts me. I have plenty of ideas for later chapters in my story. The only problem I have is I don't know what to put in between my last chapters and those future chapters. The next ideas I have for the story don't happen until the middle of September and, right now, the story is at the end of August, so I am going to try to do some filler. I definitely don't want to skip too much time. So, wish me luck, and if the story sways from the storyline, you'll know why. Enjoy.**

**(Draco's PoV)**

Draco woke up on Sunday morning and, for a moment, had forgotten where he was. Looking around the room, he suddenly remembered. He was in the guest bedroom of the Greengrass family home. The night before, he had finally given into Astoria's pleas and had accepted her invitation to come to her house for dinner and spend the night.

He had never visited Astoria's home before and was quite surprised to see that it was measurably smaller than his manor. Compared to Malfoy Manor, the Greengrass home looked tiny. Draco always imagined that the Greengrass family were wealthy. Maybe not as wealthy as his family, but enough money to have the pleasures in life others only wished for. He realized that, in many ways, it turned out that the Greengrass family and the Malfoy family were very different. His parents had associated with the Greengrass family before, but they always visited his house. The Greengrass family were also pure-blood, like the Malfoys and, unfortunately, few other wizarding families in the world.

Draco figured that was why his parents liked the Greengrass family. His mother seemed to have a kind of unwelcoming attitude toward Astoria, but his father had seemed to already welcome the youngest member of the Greengrass family as an official Malfoy family member. Draco wasn't exactly sure what he thought about that. Sure, he was in love with Astoria, though he wouldn't tell very many people that. But was it to the point to already welcome her as a part of his family? It was all very confusing to Draco.

He had never really been in love before. Sure, others would tell you that he and Pansy Parkinson had once had a thing. But to Draco, Pansy Parkinson was always like a sidekick or something. Just another faithful follower of Draco Malfoy. Like Gregory Goyle and the late Vincent Crabbe. But now when he thought of Astoria Greengrass and compared her to Pansy, there was really no comparison.

There was something he felt when he was with Astoria, and it was something strange. Something foreign to him. He was in love with her. Even if she was a little strange and unlike any other Slytherin he had ever met. No, not just that. She was unlike any other girl he had ever met. Sure she was a bit cheery to a point of annoyance sometimes, but he was okay with it. She was a part of him that he thought he had lost.

The days following the end of the Second War had been very strange for Draco. At the time, he was still thinking and dreaming about the traumatic experience of living alone in that safe-house, wondering if his parents were dead or alive. He also dreamed about when he had been captured by Death Eaters and had been their prisoner and then escaping into freedom. Though, to Draco, it was never really freedom. At least not for a while. When he had been forced to return to Hogwarts, he was still in a kind of stupor. A couple weeks into his final term at Hogwarts, Astoria started to spend time with him.

He used to think, back during those first few days of dating Astoria, that maybe she had been forced into it. Hell, maybe Draco's own father had been a part of it. Of course, that had been when he was in a state of depression, and he thought he wouldn't have been happy again. But Astoria's cheery attitude seemed to break him out of the stupor.

It turned out that Astoria was never really one of the popular Slytherin students. She was, in a way, in a solitary state of her own. She never had too many friends, and she was always studying in the dark shadowy corners of the Slytherin Common Room. Astoria had admitted this to Draco a couple weeks into their emerging relationship. She had admitted that she fancied Draco for some time, but her sister, Daphne, always told her to forget it. Daphne had been friends with Pansy, and she had always told Astoria that Pansy always talked about Draco, and that it seemed Pansy and Draco would be together forever. Draco had always wondered why Astoria always seemed so cheery when her own life seemed as depressing as his had been. But her attitude toward it all seemed to brighten Draco and that was probably one of the reasons Draco fell in love with her.

Draco was staring at the ceiling when his thoughts had been broken by a knock on the door.

"Draco?" Astoria's muffled voice called out on the other side of the door, "Are you awake?"

"Yeah, Draco said, still staring up at the ceiling.

"Can I come in?" Astoria asked.

"I guess," Draco said, "Door's unlocked."

The door opened and Astoria walked into the room and shut the door behind her, then locked it. Draco turned his attention from the ceiling and stared at her. The sun shone in through the window behind the bed and it made Astoria's blonde hair sort of sparkle. Her pale face seemed a little brighter in the sunlight. She walked over to the bed, leaned down toward Draco and kissed him briefly on the lips. Before Draco could even return it for more than a moment, she backed up and sat on the bed at his legs.

"How did you sleep?" Astoria asked.

Draco shrugged.

"More nightmares?" Astoria asked.

Draco didn't respond. His nightmares had become less and less ever since he had met Astoria, but he had some every now and then, and he never wanted to talk about them with her.

"Sorry," Astoria said, "I know you hate to --"

"I slept fine," Draco interrupted quickly, "I guess I'm just not used to sleeping anywhere besides my own bed."

Astoria leaned into him and Draco thought she would kiss him again.

"You could have slept in my bed," she whispered into his ear.

"With you?" Draco asked, his eyebrows raised.

Astoria backed up. She nodded, but Draco noticed a tinge of blush rising in her cheeks.

"I couldn't," Draco said.

Astoria frowned.

"I mean I would have liked to," Draco said, quickly, "But your sister--"

"Daphne knows to leave us alone," Astoria said.

Draco's eyebrows raised once more. Her voice seemed to have lost a bit of its cheeriness.

"I couldn't betray your parents' trust, Astoria," Draco said.

Astoria sighed and looked at him.

"You realize what today is?" Astoria asked him.

The change of subject surprised Draco.

"Er... Sunday?" Draco asked.

"It's the last day of August, Draco," Astoria said, "I go back to Hogwarts tomorrow."

"Oh," Draco said.

"Yeah," Astoria said, "Oh."

She sighed and looked away from him.

"I haven't even begun to pack my trunk yet," she said, "I'm absolutely dreading going back to Hogwarts."

Draco looked at her. The sudden lack of cheer in her voice scared him.

"I thought you always liked Hogwarts," Draco said, "And didn't you tell me you are in the running for Head Girl?"

She looked back at him and narrowed her eyes.

"What makes you think I like Hogwarts?" Astoria asked.

"I don't know," Draco said, shrugging, "You were one of the brightest students in Slytherin. You seemed so happy."

"Did you forget what I told you?" Astoria asked.

Draco shrugged.

"The only reason I've ever done so well in Hogwarts," Astoria said, "Is because I've had nothing else to distract me. I never had very many friends. Does that seem happy to you?"

"I guess not," Draco said.

"I'm happy with you, Draco," Astoria said, "The only reason I seemed so happy was because I was with you. Be honest with me, do you remember anything about me before we started talking to each other at the start of the year?"

"I don't know," Draco said, "I noticed you around Hogwarts. And didn't I just say I thought you were one of the brightest students?"

"I was more of the... suffer-in-silence type," Astoria said, "As corny as it sounds, my only friends, before I met you, were the stacks of parchment in front of me, and the voices in my head. Really, the only person who talked to me was my sister. But as the years at Hogwarts passed by, she started hanging out with friends more than with me. I've always had my eye on you, Draco. You seemed so popular. You always had Crabbe and Goyle and... and Parkinson hanging around you. I was jealous. Then I saw you so alone when you returned to Hogwarts, and I felt a connection."

Draco nodded. He had felt that connection as well.

"I know you had been taken prisoner by those Death Eaters," Astoria said, "You told me that."

Draco nodded. He had remembered telling her. It was the night she first kissed him. After that kiss, he had let go of everything that was hiding inside him. He never admitted it to anyone but, that night, many tears had come out as he had told her his story.

"I understood everything after that, Draco," Astoria said, "And I knew I was right when I fell in love with you."

Draco grinned, in spite of himself. Astoria grinned, but it was immediately wiped from her face.

"You'll visit me during Hogsmeade weekends, right?" she asked.

Draco sighed and looked at her. She looked back at him and her gaze bore into his eyes and directly into his mind.

"Sure," Draco said, "I'll rent a room in the Three Broomsticks."

"And you'll write to me?" Astoria asked.

"Sure," Draco said, again, "At least twice a week."

"If not more?" Astoria asked.

Draco nodded. Astoria grinned again.

"Somehow, that makes me feel a little better about going back tomorrow," she said.

She crawled onto the bed and up to him. She kissed him, and Draco returned the kiss. Her kiss was so strong that Draco's head bumped into the headboard of the bed. Suddenly, there was another knock on the door. Astoria backed up and rolled her eyes.

"Astoria, are you in there?" a voice said.

"Just talking to Draco, Mum," Astoria said, sighing.

"You're father and I are heading out early," Mrs. Greengrass said, "You have everything you need for Hogwarts?"

"If I need anything, I'll get it at Diagon Alley," Astoria said.

"All right," Mrs. Greengrass said.

Draco heard footsteps walk away from the door. Astoria sighed in relief. She stood up from the bed.

"Oh, she's so annoying sometimes," she said.

"I don't know about that," Draco said, "Your parents are pretty nice."

Astoria scoffed.

"Can I stay over at your place for Christmas break?" she asked.

Draco raised an eyebrow. That was quite unexpected.

"Why?" he asked, "I imagine this place is great around Christmas."

"Draco, I'm serious," Astoria said, "It will give me something to look forward to, and I'm sure it will be fun."

"I'll think about it," Draco said.

Astoria sighed, but she nodded. She leaned over to him and pecked him on the lips again.

"I'll just let you get dressed," she said.

She walked over to the door and unlocked it, opened it, then left. Draco stared at the ceiling again. Was this really what he wanted for the rest of his life?

-------------------------------------  
After he got dressed, Draco left the room and walked downstairs. The Greengrass family home was a two-story four bedroom home in the outer suburbs of London. It was definitely smaller than the Malfoy Manor and one of the main differences Draco first noticed was that there wasn't a single house-elf in the house. Usually, in the wizarding world, this was one of the first signs that a family wasn't of wealthy means. Even though most house-elves didn't require payment, most also never worked for low-standard families either. Draco didn't think the Greengrass' family was anywhere near low-standard, but the thought hadn't escaped his mind. Of course, when he thought about it, he also wondered if he really cared. Or if the reason he had thought about it was because he had always lived in the luxurious manor. When he walked downstairs, he heard voices in the direction of the dining room and kitchen. He walked over to the kitchen, but didn't go in.

"I don't think it is any of your business what I do with Draco, Daphne," Astoria's voice rang out, "I don't ask you what you do with your boyfriends, do I? Though I guess I don't need to, either."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Daphne asked.

"You need to put a silencing charm on your window, Daph," Astoria said, "I hear it every time you climb in and out of it at night."

Draco's eyebrows raised. What had he walked in on?

"H-h-how dare you?" Daphne said, her voice shaking.

Draco cleared his throat and walked into the room. Astoria was sitting on a stool behind the bar that separated the kitchen and the dining room. A plate of barely-touched pancakes were in front of her. Daphne was standing in front of the oven. Her hands were on her hips and she was staring at her sister.

"Good morning, girls," he said, looking back and forth to each sister, "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything."

"Nothing at all, Draco, darling," Astoria said.

Draco saw Daphne roll her eyes.

"Hello, Daph," Draco said to Daphne, "I didn't see you at dinner last night. Were you busy?"

"I was over at the Nott house," Daphne said, "Theo's family had a party."

"Theo?" Draco asked, snorting, "You dating him or something?"

"Or something," Daphne said, "You know, Draco. Pansy was there."

"Daphne," Astoria said, her voice dark.

"It's okay, Astoria," Draco said, holding his hand up, and looking at Daphne, "So what is Pansy doing these days?"

Astoria looked at Draco and narrowed her eyes.

"Brooding mostly," Daphne said, grinning, "And asking a few questions. She knows you're with Astoria, so she figured I'd talked to you quite a bit. She's worried about you."

"Worried about me?" Draco asked, scoffing.

"Yeah," Daphne said, "It's no secret what kind of trouble you've been in since you ended up riding the coattails of the Dark Lord."

"The Dark Lord's gone the last time I heard," Draco said.

"Of course he is," Daphne said, "The stories still fly around, though. You know... Pansy told me she was looking for you after the Battle of Hogwarts."

"Is that so?" Draco asked.

"Yeah," Daphne said, "She was quite worried about you. You disappeared after that, and Pansy thought you were dead."

"I took a holiday in New York City," Draco said.

"Oh, she knows," Daphne said.

"How would she know that?" Draco asked.

"You don't read the Daily Prophet, do you?" Daphne asked, "Your parents' story ended up being big news. Their escape from Azkaban and rumors that they were the lead Death Eaters in their plans for revenge on the Dark Lord's downfall."

"She doesn't know anything, does she?" Draco scoffed, "The Second War is over, Daphne. The Death Eaters are gone and my parents are alive and well, just like me."

"I know," Daphne said, "I know more than you think I do. You say the Death Eaters are gone, eh?"

"Of course they are," Draco said.

"Shows what you know," Daphne said.

Daphne smirked and walked past him, brushing his side with her shoulder as she passed. He turned, watching her walk out of the kitchen and down the hall.

"What are you talking about?!" Draco asked, shouting at her.

She disappeared around a corner, and Draco heard the front door of the house open and close. He turned back to Astoria.

"What is she talking about?" he asked.

"Who knows?" Astoria said, "She's mental."

"Right," Draco said, though he was still unsure.

"What's your interest in Pansy Parkinson?" Astoria asked.

"Nothing," Draco said, "I was just giving your sister the satisfaction she wanted."

"Why?" Astoria asked.

"So she'd leave us alone," Draco said, "It worked, didn't it?"

"You don't still have any feelings for Parkinson, do you?" Astoria asked.

"Of course not," Draco said, "She's nothing to me."

"Are you sure?" Astoria asked.

"Yeah," Draco said, "Astoria, don't worry. I'm not going to leave you for her."

Astoria looked at her pancakes.

"Hey," Draco said.

He walked over to her and sat on the stool next to hers.

"Is that what you are worried about?" Draco asked.

Astoria shrugged.

"It is, isn't?" Draco asked, "You're worried that I'll do something when you're gone at Hogwarts."

Astoria looked at him. He noticed a tear in her eye.

"I don't want to lose you, Draco," she said, "Ever since we started going out, I've found that I'm happier than I've been in years. These past few months have been wonderful. Now I'm going to Hogwarts tomorrow, and... and I won't see you for a while."

"Don't you think I'm worried about it too?" Draco asked.

And when he said it, he suddenly realized he had been worried.

"I mean," he said, "Look at you. You're more beautiful than you think you are. You don't think I'm worried that some Slytherin boy is going to see you and fall for you and hook you in?"

"You shouldn't be," Astoria said.

Draco raised his eyebrows skeptically.

"It will never happen," Astoria said. "I won't let it happen."

He grinned. She playfully smacked him on the back.

"Damn you," she said, grinning, "You've turned this on me."

"You see," Draco said, "You have nothing to worry about, as long as I don't have anything to worry about either."

"Deal," she said.

She grinned and leaned over to him and kissed him briefly. Draco looked at the pancakes and realized how hungry he was.

"Any more of those?" Draco asked, nodding at the plate of food.

Astoria shook her head and grinned.

"I can make some," she said.

"Or I can steal some of yours," Draco said, grinning.

Astoria pushed the plate away from him and Draco playfully pouted. Astoria rolled her eyes and Draco laughed.

Draco stayed around Astoria's house for most of the day. After breakfast, he helped her pack up her trunk for Hogwarts and she seemed happier throughout the day. Once or twice, he found his mind returning to the conversation he had with Daphne. Something she had said sparked something in his mind, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

------------------------------------

**A/N: Okay, short chapter, but I said it was only filler. There was a bit in the chapter that had to do with the storyline I'm planning, but I hadn't planned it before. It does lead to new possibilities for the story. Hopefully you liked this chapter. **

**When it comes to Draco and Astoria, I didn't have much planned, but I'm starting to like them in this story. I might add a little more with them, even though the main story is with the four main characters.**

Feedback would be great.


	25. Salesman's Approach

**Chapter 25  
Salesman's Approach **

**Author's Note: Sorry for the extremely long delay. I totally didn't know where to go with this story, but now I have a few things in mind.**

**(Ginny's PoV)**

Ginny woke up on Sunday, still elated from the previous day's Harpies and Cannons game. Never had she dreamed she'd be on a Professional Quidditch team, and do so well, especially during the very first match. She grinned privately to herself and got out of bed.

The calendar above the dresser said it was September 1st. It felt very strange to Ginny not having to go through the normal routine of hustle and bustle getting ready to go on the Hogsmeade express, bound to Hogwarts. Even before she went to Hogwarts, she had accompanied her mother and brothers to King's Cross to see them off. Now that long tradition was done... until she would do the same tradition with her own children, of course. The very thought of that sent blush to her cheeks.

She dressed quickly, and headed downstairs. Harry was in the living room, sitting on the couch. He seemed to be very busy. Ginny had to clear her throat to get his attention. Harry almost jumped when he heard her.

"Oh, good morning," he said, "Just wake up?"

"It's only seven-thirty," Ginny said.

"Is it?" Harry said, "Seems much later."

"Really? How long have you been up?" Ginny asked.

"Since five-o-clock," Harry said.

"What have you been doing?"

"Been studying for my next exam," Harry said, "It is only a couple weeks away, and I realized I haven't done much. Oh by the way, Pig came over this morning. He had a couple letters from Hermione. One for each of us. I imagine they are pretty similar."

****Harry gestured to the coffee table. Ginny noticed the folded piece of parchment, and picked it up. She unfolded it and started to read:

_Dear Ginny,_

_Ron's going to be busy studying for his Auror training exams. I imagine that will take all day, so I suggested he go over and study with Harry. And it's probably going to be pretty boring over there, so I thought you and I could meet at Diagon Alley, say, around nine? I have a few things I need to do, and would love some help. Don't want to say too much until we meet up. _

_If you can't meet up, send back a response. If none comes, I will assume you can make it! Hope so!_

_See you soon,_

_Hermione_

"Hermione wants me to meet her in Diagon Alley," Ginny said.

"Yeah, that's what I figured from what she said in her letter to me," Harry said, "Will you go?"

"You won't need help with any studying, will you?" Ginny asked.

"Not since Ron is going to come over," Harry said, shaking his head. "We can work on it together. Go... have fun."

"All right, I'll do it," Ginny said, "I'll make a quick breakfast before I go. You have anything to eat yet?"

Harry shook his head again, his eyes still on the notebook in front of him.

"Been too busy," he said.

"No problem," Ginny said, and walked into the kitchen.

Just before nine, Ginny used the Floo Network to get to The Leaky Cauldron.

Hermione was sitting at a table, sipping a butterbeer and reading the Daily Prophet. Hermione saw her coming and waved at her. Ginny walked over to the table and sat across from her. As if summoned with a spell, Tom was at the table in an instant.

"Can I get you anything, Miss Weasley?" Tom asked.

Ginny was about to shake her head, but Hermione spoke up.

"Oh, go on and get a butterbeer," she said, "My treat."

"Sounds good," Ginny said, both to Hermione and Tom.

Tom smiled and summoned a butterbeer. Hermione paid Tom for it.

"Have a good day, girls," Tom said.

Ginny thanked Tom and opened the butterbeer bottle.

"Anything interesting," she said, motioning to the Daily Prophet.

"Daily Prophet wishing good luck to the students going into Hogwarts," Hermione said.

Ginny snorted.

"Why is that interesting?" she asked.

"Well, the Daily Prophet never really does that, do they?" Hermione replied.

"No, I guess not," Ginny said, "Why are they doing it this year?"

"Kingsley's focusing on the Daily Prophet now in his investigation," Hermione said. "I would bet anything, they are trying to get on his good side by writing about good stuff. There is nothing about the Minister of Magic in this edition of the Daily Prophet. Given the publicity he's had from Herb Morrison's trial, I doubt the Daily Prophet is finished with their articles about him. Now they are only just delaying it, since they are under investigation."

"Do you think they have anything to hide?" Ginny asked.

"If they do, Kingsley will find it," Hermione said.

Ginny nodded, and decided to change the subject.

"So in your letter, you sounded as if you had some kind of secret going on," she said, "Spill it, Hermione. What do you want to do today?"

Hermione put down the Daily Prophet and grinned.

"Oh, it's not that big of a secret," Hermione said, "It was just something I didn't want to say in a letter, because it wouldn't sound right. Ron and I have decided we better prepare for our wedding sooner instead of later."

"Brilliant!" Ginny said.

"Yes," Hermione said, "We don't know a date, yet, but I thought I'd go shopping in Diagon Alley and see what I can find... and that is where you come in."

"Sure," Ginny said, "What do you need?"

"When Bill and Fleur got married," Hermione said, "Did you help your Mum with it at all?"

"Of course," Ginny said.

"Great," Hermione said, "Because I want mine and Ron's wedding to be the traditional wizard wedding, and I have no idea where to start."

"Don't worry, Hermione," Ginny said, "You asked the right girl.'

"Thanks," Hermione said.

"Though we could also ask my Mum," Ginny said.

"I thought so too, at first," Hermione said, "Then I realized there was one little problem."

"And that is?" Ginny asked.

"Ron made me promise not to include your Mum," Hermione said, "Until we really had to."

Ginny laughed.

"Perfectly understood," she said, "She can go a little overboard."

Ginny and Hermione entered Diagon Alley, and headed down the cobble walkway.

"What did you want to look at first?" Ginny asked.

"Oh, I thought we'd go to George's shop first," Hermione said.

They headed toward Weasley Wizard Wheezes, and went inside. George and Angelina were nowhere to be seen, but an old man was standing near the cash register.

"Miss Granger!" the old man said, at the sight of them, "How do you do?"

"Do I know you?" Hermione asked.

The old man pointed his wand at himself and he changed into a younger gentleman.

"Gunther!" Hermione said, "How are you?"

"Same old, same old," Gunther said.

"Ginny, this is Gunther," Hermione said, "He was our security when Ron and I were working at the shop in Hogsmeade."

"The elusive Ginny," Gunther said, "George has told me quite a bit about you. You're Bat-Bogey Hex sounds impressive. You could look into being a part of security some day with that spell."

"Not a good idea," George said, walking up to them, "She'd scare every one away."

"Ha ha," Ginny said.

"Girl's day out, I presume?" George asked.

"Ron and I have decided that we better start on our plans for our wedding," Hermione said, "Even if it is still months away."

"Good idea," George said, "Before you know it, the day will be here, and you might feel you have done nothing. So good to start now. Since you came into the shop, I take it you want my help?"

"Actually that is why I brought Ginny with me," Hermione said.

"Well, great," George said, "But if you need help, remember, I was the last to get married here."

"Sorry, George," Hermione said, "I need a woman's touch."

"Speaking of," Ginny said, "Where is Angelina?"

"It is her day off," George said, "But if you ever need her help with wedding plans, and want a woman's touch, she's the right girl for it. So, were you looking for anything specific here?"

"Possibly your marquees," Hermione said.

"Nice choice!" George said, "You've had experience with them, so I don't need to give you the salesman's approach. But, I'll give you this piece of advice. There is nothing better for your perfect day. You never know what kind of weather will interrupt your wedding, be it rain, snow, or unbearable heat. This gives you shelter from all of that. And since it is my dear brother who is betrothed, I will give you a discount."

"Uh, George," Gunther said, "I think that was the salesman's approach."

George rolled his eyes.

"I wasn't planning on buying anything today," Hermione said, "But I'll add it to the list."

"I'll be sure to keep one saved for you," George said.

"Thanks," Hermione said, "We best be going. Much more to do. Nice to see you again, Gunther."

"Say hello to Ron, for me, eh?" Gunther said.

"Of course," Hermione said.

-  
(**Draco's PoV) **

"Ten minute notice!" the Hogwarts Conductor said loudly over the crowd, "The Hogwarts Express will leave in ten minutes!"

Astoria was one of the last students left on Platform 9 ¾. Her mother, father and sister had all said their farewells. Now she was standing with Draco, her hands grasped in his.

"The first Hogsmeade weekend seems so far away," Astoria said, "Promise me you'll come?"

"When is the first one?" Draco asked.

"Halloween," Astoria said, "Like it always is."

"Halloween," Draco said, "Hmm. You know, I was planning on scaring the little kids with my evil voodoo magic."

"Draco!" Astoria said, almost in a whiny voice.

"Fine, I guess I can put it off for another year," Draco said, "Of course I'll be there."

"You better," Astoria said.

"That sounds like a threat," Draco said, "I almost forgot you were a Slytherin until just now."

Astoria rolled her eyes.

"Promise me you'll avoid Pansy Parkinson," she said.

"Wasn't even thinking of going anywhere near her," Draco said.

"Good," Astoria said.

"You better get going," Draco said, "Train will leave any minute."

Astoria pouted. Draco smirked and kissed her.

"I'm going to miss that," Astoria said, "I love you.'

"Love you too," Draco said, in barely a whisper.

Astoria smiled. With one last look at Draco, she made her way onto the Hogwarts Express. Draco was about to turn around, when he saw her once again, waving at him from one of the windows. Draco shook his head, grinning and waved back. A sharp whistle blew, and the soon the train had disappeared around the corner.

Draco walked back through the barrier, and found Astoria's sister, Daphne, leaning up against a wall. She was staring right at him. Draco walked over to her.

"What are you doing?" Draco asked.

"I wanted to talk to you, Draco," Daphne said.

"If this is about me and Astoria," Draco said, "Then back off."

Daphne rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"What you do with my sister is hardly any of my business," Daphne said, "It's easy to see she is madly in love with you. But no... that is not what I wish to talk to you about."

"This is about our discussion in your kitchen, isn't it?" Draco asked.

"I thought you might have caught on to that," Daphne said, a mischievous grin forming across her face.

She looked to her left and right.

"I think you deserve to know a little bit," she said. "How about we take this somewhere more private?"

"You are not exactly someone I want to be seen on a lunch date with, Daphne," Draco said.

"Then don't call it a date, Draco darling," Daphne said, smiling. "Come on, you'll want to hear what I have to say."

Draco sighed, knowing full well that this was probably a bad idea. But curiosity got the best of him. He had to go.

"All right," Draco said, "Lead the way."

"See you at the Leaky Cauldron then!" Daphne said.

Before Draco could complain that the Leaky Cauldron was a little crowded, Daphne disappeared with a crack. Draco looked around, to see if anyone had noticed. But the Muggles were going about their usual business. It was true: Muggles don't see anything, especially when it is in front of their nose.

Draco apparated quickly, and arrived outside the Leaky Cauldron. Daphne was waiting for him.

"Isn't this place a little crowded?" Draco asked, as he walked through the door with Daphne.

"So we'll sit at a corner table," Daphne said, "Seriously, Draco, you worry too much. You shouldn't do that. It will give you early baldness."

Draco rolled his eyes and followed Daphne over to a corner table in the darkest part of the Leaky Cauldron. Tom started walking toward them, but Draco shook his head. Tom froze for a moment, then walked back behind the bar. Draco sat across the table from Daphne. He tried his best to make it look like this was not a date, but knew there would be some curious looks. He just hoped nobody he knew saw them. If Astoria found out he was at the Leaky Cauldron with her own sister... well, he didn't want to think about that.

"Okay, Daphne," Draco said, "Speak up. And don't take your time. I don't want to be here too long."

"Okay," Daphne said, "I'll get straight to the point. I take it you've heard all about the Minister's investigations within the Ministry of Magic."

"Sure," Draco said, "The Ministry is trying to make sure there is nobody working in the Ministry with any connections to Death Eaters."

"Right," Daphne said, "Not long ago, there was a Daily Prophet article about a certain trial. The man on trial was Ralph Fetcher."

"Is that name supposed to mean anything to me?" Draco asked.

"No," Daphne said, "But his wife's last name before marriage was Yaxley."

Draco's eyes widened. A smirk crossed Daphne's face.

"Okay," Draco said, "You've successfully peaked my interest. Go on."

"Fetcher and Yaxley were the best of chums before Yaxley's untimely demise," Daphne said, "Yaxley knew he was probably going to get killed by Aurors before too long, so shortly before his death, he talked to Fetcher. He gave Fetcher a list of names. Now, as far as I am aware, that letter has long since been destroyed, and we were never able to talk to him before his imprisonment."

"Who is this 'we' you speak of?" Draco asked.

"I have yet decided if I shall reveal this to you yet," Daphne said.

"Then continue," Draco said.

"Well," Daphne said, "for a while, we were trying to figure out who exactly could be on this list. The Minister's investigations were going all over the Ministry, so we were sure the list had names of workers, or past workers, from the Ministry of Magic. Then we met up with an individual whose name had been kept a secret from the Daily Prophet. A young man by the name of Thorpe. His father had died in the same battle that Yaxley died in. He was a part of the Aurors-in-Training, and had been forced to resign. He didn't know why until he learned of the fate of his father. He thought his father was in Azkaban, but apparently the Death Eaters had recruited him when the mass break-out happened. I'm sure you remember this, given that your parents were a part of it."

"They weren't a part of it, Daphne," Draco said, "They were hostages!"

"Fine," Daphne said, "Anyway, that little revelation was a mighty treasure for us. Let me reveal something to you that only a fair few people know. The Minister of Magic is so obsessed with his little investigation, he doesn't realize he is looking in the wrong place."

"What is the right place?" Draco asked.

"Not a 'what', Draco," Daphne said, "But a 'who'. Shacklebolt is right about one thing. There is a new threat to the wizarding world."

Draco looked at Daphne with wide eyes.

"I'll give you a hint, Draco," Daphne said, "Who, out of everyone, would feel the most angry about what happened to the Death Eaters?"

Draco figured he knew the answer. He just didn't want to say it.

"Their families, Draco," Daphne said, "More specifically, their kids."

"What are you saying?" Draco asked, "You can't be possibly saying the Death Eaters' kids are going to get their revenge on the wizarding world."

"Oh, come on, Draco," Daphne said, "If your parents were killed by Aurors, wouldn't you want revenge?"

Draco couldn't reply. He honestly didn't know what the right answer was.

"You see," Daphne said, grinning.

"Why are you telling this to me?" Draco asked.

"I thought you might want to be a part of it," Daphne said.

"Why would you think that?" Draco asked.

"Oh, come on," Daphne said again, "Your parents may have been pardoned by the Minister, but that does not mean they are going to ever have the respect they once had. The Malfoy name doesn't mean much these days. I mean..."

She scoffed.

"Your own mother was practically the assistant to a damn Mudblood, Draco!" Daphne said, "What do you have to say to that?"

Again, Draco was silent. Daphne only grinned. She took a napkin from its holder and took out her wand. She pressed her wand to the napkin, then passed it over to Draco.

"Read it," Draco said, "Memorize it. Quickly."

Draco looked down at the napkin. It was an address. As soon as he memorized it, the napkin disappeared in a flash of flame.

"If you are interested," Daphne said, "Meet me at that address next Saturday. You'll learn a lot more than you did today. Good day, Draco. See you soon."

Daphne winked, then stood up. She walked over to the clearing near the fireplace and apparated away. Draco just stared in front of him for a moment. What was he going to do? Why did Daphne tell him these things if there was a chance he could just go and report it to authorities. Of course, even if he did report it to authorities, he was going to need more proof. Like Daphne said... the name of Malfoy meant close to nothing these days. Nobody would truly believe him. Draco sighed. What exactly was he going to do?

-  
**Yes, Draco, what exactly ARE you going to do?**

**Hope you liked this chapter and forgive me for the extremely long delay. This chapter gives me so many possibilities to the future of this story. **

**Would love to see if there are still readers! Reviews would be grand!**


	26. Azkaban

**Chapter 26  
****Azkaban**

**Author's Note: Well, I was going to start this chapter with Harry's PoV, but I realized I haven't done much Ron and Hermione fluff for a while, and wanted some. Everyone loves fluff!  
**

**(Ron's PoV)**

On Monday morning, Ron opened his eyes and realized that his arms were around Hermione, as she was sleeping. He smiled, wondering if this was some kind of dream. He had wanted to do this for so many years, ever since he had fallen in love with Hermione, and now it seemed too good to be real.

Hermione stretched under his arms, and sighed. Ron pulled away from her.

"Don't," Hermione said, sleepily.

"Hmm?" Ron asked.

"I like this," Hermione said, sliding back toward Ron, "Don't pull away."

Ron smiled.

"That settles it," Ron said, "I must still be dreaming."

"No," Hermione said, "This is real."

"Good," Ron muttered, "If was dreaming, I wouldn't want to wake up."

Hermione chuckled lightly. With a little difficulty, she turned toward Ron and faced him. Ron kissed her lightly on the lips, and just when he was about to back away, Hermione pushed toward him and deepened it.

"Ron Weasley, look what you've done," Hermione said, backing away.

"What I've done?" Ron asked.

"Messed me around like this," Hermione said, "And this early too. I'll never be able to concentrate, you know."

"That's a laugh," Ron said.

"What is?" Hermione asked.

"The thought of you not being able to concentrate," Ron said, chuckling, "I must be messing you around."

Hermione laughed.

"I should be the one who is mad," Ron said, "I still have loads of studying to do."

"I thought you and Harry did all of that yesterday?" Hermione said, then scowled, "Don't tell me, you watched another football game."

"No, promise!" Ron said, quickly, "Nothing like that! I wish we would have, cause it would have given us a well-deserved break. There's just... so much to study for. I can't believe we are only a little over a month into this examination."

"It will be over before you know it, Ron," Hermione said, "And you will be a full-fledged Auror."

"I hope so," Ron said. "Seems like only half the class will make it all the way."

"No way would they flunk you," Hermione said, "After everything you've done for the wizarding world."

"Harry's done more," Ron said.

"Oh, you've done just as much," Hermione said.

"Have I?" Ron asked, "It always feels like I am in the back seat."

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Harry's the hero," Ron muttered, "I'm just a side-kick."

"That's not true!" Hermione cried, "You are just as good as Harry."

Ron scoffed, and Hermione slapped him on the back.

"It's true, Ron," Hermione said, "Harry didn't destroy the locket horcrux, you did. You were also just as much of the Battle of Hogwarts, and the final battle with the Death Eaters, as Harry was."

"I ended up in a temporary coma," Ron muttered, "And I couldn't even help m-my brother."

Hermione gasped, and Ron knew why. He hadn't brought up Fred's death in so long. It was almost just a memory, and Fred deserved more.

"Ron, you've done so much," Hermione said, "You can't do everything, you know. Even I can't."

Ron remained silent.

"And Ron," Hermione said, "You may not see yourself as a hero. But I do."

Ron looked at Hermione.

"You are my hero," she said.

Ron smiled a little.

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Hermione said, "You'll get through the training, right along with Harry. I know you will."

Ron nodded, slightly. He still wasn't sure, but if Hermione was, then it had to be true, right?

**(Harry's PoV)**

Harry arrived at the Auror Headquarters to find many of his fellow Aurors-in-Training in the front office. They were all talking amongst themselves, and there was a hint of confusion in the air. Ron, who had noticed Harry walk in, walked over to him.

"What's going on, Ron?" Harry asked, "Why isn't everyone in the locker rooms?"

"Apparently something happened earlier this morning," Ron said, "Or that is the rumor that is going around. Someone said Shippe was in an urgent meeting with the Minister, and we were supposed to wait here for him."

"Shippe is meeting with Kingsley?" Harry asked.

"That's the rumor," Ron said. "I have to believe it, since he isn't here, and we're all crowded in here waiting. Wait, Harry, you don't think Kingsley has evidence against Shippe?"

"No, that can't be it," Harry said, "Shippe is a pretty trustworthy person."

"I'm glad you think so, Harry," a voice said behind him.

Harry turned around. Shippe was standing in the doorway. He cleared his throat to get everyone's attention, but there was no need. Everyone was silent as soon as they heard his voice.

"As I'm sure you've heard," Shippe said, "I just returned from a meeting with the Minister of Magic. He has brought me some troubling news. Who here is familiar with the Daily Prophet article recently about a man named Ralph Fetcher?"

Harry, Ron, and a number of the other Aurors-In-Training raised her hand briefly.

"For those who are not familiar, listen up," Shippe said. "Ralph Fetcher was brought in front of the Wizengamot recently for connections to Death Eaters. The Wizengamot soon learned that Fetcher had a certain list given to him by a Death Eater, before their demise a few months ago. It is assumed that Ralph Fetcher still has knowledge of this list. The list is believed to have a number of names on it. These names are believed to be allies of the Death Eaters. This is a certifiable threat to the wizarding world."

Shippe looked around at his audience.

"Minister Shacklebolt has told me," he continued, "that sometime between the late hours of last night and early this morning, Ralph Fetcher escaped from Azkaban prison."

"Impossible!" someone said.

"No way!" another person said.

"How did he do it?" Billingsley asked.

"We do not know," Shippe said. "None of the guards at Azkaban heard anything during the night or earlier this morning. There was no invasion of outside forces."

"Sounds slightly similar to Sirius Black's escape a few years ago," Billingsley said.

Harry's eyes caught Ron looking back at him.

"Yes, I brought this up with Minister Shacklebolt," Shippe said, "And I will tell you the same thing he told me. There is nothing similar. Sirius Black was innocent, and at the times Dementors guarded Azkaban prison. Black knew he was innocent, and so these positive emotions made him invisible to the Dementors. That is not the case when it comes to Ralph Fetcher."

"What does this have to do with us trainees?" Ron asked, "It's the Aurors that will be searching for Fetcher, right?"

"Unfortunately most of the Aurors are busy with other investigations," Shippe said.

Harry silently scoffed. He wouldn't surprised if those investigations had to do with the Minister's investigations.

"So Minister Shacklebolt has requested," Shippe continued, "that the Aurors-in-Training are to be a part of the hunt for Ralph Fetcher?"

"What about our Exams this month?" a trainee said, "We're supposed to prepare for those!"

"I brought this up with the Minister," Shippe said, "And he has suggested to me that this investigation is to be your exam for this month."

Surprised chatter overtook the trainees. Harry looked at Ron, whose eyes were rather large.

"Okay, listen up, everyone!" Shippe said, "I am going to split you up into teams of three! First team: Billingsley, Weasley and Potter, come see me please!"

As Harry walked over to Shippe, he heard Ron groan silently. Harry instantly knew why. Billingsley was the last person Ron wanted to be associated with, especially with something like this.

"You three are to head to Azkaban prison," Shippe said, "where the whole incident started. Interview the guards, search for evidence, and find out how Fetcher escaped. Understood?"

Harry, Ron and Billingsley nodded.

"Be careful in there, you three," Shippe warned, "Watch your backs. Now, go to the locker rooms and prepare yourselves. Once you are ready, go to the fireplace at the end of the locker rooms. It has been connected to Azkaban. Good luck."

Harry, Ron and Billingsley headed through the entrance into the Auror department and headed into the locker rooms.

"Have either of you ever been inside Azkaban?" Billingsley asked, as he opened his locker.

Harry and Ron shook their heads.

"I have," Billingsley said, "Once on a tour."

"Didn't think the public were offered tours into Azkaban," Ron said.

"Oh, they're not," Billingsley said, "You have to know the right people. In this case, my uncle. He was one of the first guards stationed there after the dementors were kicked out. He quit the job a few months after my tour there."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Most people can't take being in there," Billingsley said, "That place doesn't just affect prisoners, Potter. The guards get affected too."

"I thought it was the dementors who did that to the place?" Harry said.

"That's the general story, sure," Billingsley said, "But then how do you explain the atmosphere around Azkaban after the dementors were gone?"

Harry looked at Ron. Ron looked a bit pale.

"Whoever built that prison," Billingsley said, darkly, "Did so to make sure it made the prisoners lives a living hell. What they didn't plan out, was how it also affected everyone else. My advice is to watch yourselves, boys. Do the job we are sent to do, do it right, then we get out of there. If we can't find anything in an hour or two, we get out. You don't want to stay in there too long. Otherwise, you might just find yourself as a resident there."

Harry and Ron exchanged glances, but didn't say anything. They dressed into work clothes in silence. No one spoke until they reached the fireplace.

"Remember to speak clearly, guys," Billingsley said, as he took out some of the green powder from the small bag near the fireplace, and passed it to Harry and Ron, "Where we're going, if you go one grate too far, no one will find you for a long time."

Billingsley looked at both Harry and Ron, and nodded to Harry.

"You go first, Potter," he said, "Don't trod too far when you get there. Wouldn't want to lose track of you."

Harry nodded. Billingsley threw some Floo Powder into the fireplace, and the fire glowed green. Harry walked into it.

"Azkaban Prison!" Harry said, clearly, and dropped the Floo Powder.

Instantly, his feet lifted away from the ground, and he was spinning dangerously through the Floo network. When he chanced opening his eyes, he saw a blur of fire and brick. No grates were in sight. There was, however, an inkling of a large body of water, and Harry knew it had to be the ocean. He looked in front of him, and gasped as he noticed a clear, almost blue-colored, barrier. He thought he would collide into it, but he slowly went through it, feeling a little strange as he did. Finally, after seemed like hours, his feet slammed onto solid ground.

The dust and soot made him cough, and when he was clear of it, he saw two men looking at him. They were all standing in a small dark room. The door beyond the two men looked like that of a vault door.

"Er..." he said.

"You must be Mr. Potter," one of the men said, his eyes glancing up at Harry's scar, "We were told you would come. Are there more coming?"

"Should be coming shortly," Harry said, brushing his hair down over his lightning-shaped scar.

Harry took a good look at the two men. It was hard to believe they were alive. They looked deathly pale, with large black spots around their eyes. They also looked skinny, almost weightless, as if they could just float above the ground like ghosts. Had Azkaban done this to them? Was everything that Billingsley told him true?

Harry didn't have time to ponder the answer before the dust and soot reappeared once again. Ron appeared near Harry.

"Who are these two blokes?" Ron muttered to Harry, sizing up the two men.

"We are guards of Azkaban," the other guard said.

"Are you?" Ron said.

A moment later, the dust and soot appeared again, and Billingsley appeared.

"Ron, Harry," he said, "Good, you made it."

"Is this the last of you?" the first guard said.

"Yes, sir," Billingsley said.

"Good," the guard said, "Follow us please."

The guards turned around and walked toward the door. One guard took their wand and tapped the door. Harry heard clicking sounds similar to that of Gringott's vaults. The door opened and one of the guards walked through it. Harry, Ron and Billingsley followed him. Harry heard more clicking behind him; the other guard was shutting the door.

"If you feel a little uneasy," the guard in front of them said, "That is completely normal. There are elixirs in the main office to assist with you this. Fortunately, that is where we're going."

"Elixirs, eh?" Ron muttered, low enough for only Harry and Billingsley to hear, "Wonder how well it works. Doesn't look like these two have taken too much."

"You've noticed their appearances then?" Billingsley said.

"Who couldn't?" Ron asked.

"This is what happens when you spend too much time in the prison," Billingsley said, "Pray that you are never assigned guard duty."

As Harry walked with the others toward the main office, he couldn't help but notice the atmosphere. It was chilly and gloomy, and Harry wondered if it would ever end. It was like the dementors had never left the prison. The walls were gray and black bricks, many of which were dirty. He could feel the curse of the building all around him.

He suddenly remembered the day, many years ago, when Hagrid had come back from Azkaban, still shaking, and months later, teary-eyed because he was afraid of ever going to the place again. How could the guards even stand it?

Soon they arrived at the main guard office. A middle-aged man was waiting for them there. He seemed to look a little healthier than the guards that had accompanied Harry and the others to the office, but not by far.

"Here are the Aurors-in-training, as you requested, sir," one of the guards said to the main.

"Thank you," the man said, "You two may go."

The two guards nodded and left the room immediately.

"I don't know if 'welcome' is quite the word for it in this situation," the man said, "So I will not use it here. Thank you for coming. I am Derrick Hench, the head Auror here."

Harry, Ron and Billingsley introduced themselves.

"It is rather peculiar that the Ministry has sent Aurors-in-training here," Hench said. "It usually takes Aurors with great training to come here and be able to survive it. Though, as you could probably tell, we are lucky to be as healthy as we are. You three must be at the top of your class if the Ministry chose you to come here. Now, let me get to the reason you are here. As you probably know, a prisoner, Ralph Fetcher, escaped some time between the hours of eleven last night to five in the morning."

"Do you know how he could have done it?" Billingsley asked.

"There were no intruders reported," Hench said, "So that way of escape is out of the question."

"What about an inside man?" Harry asked.

Billingsley, Ron and Hench all looked at Harry.

"Surely you must have thought of this, sir?" Harry asked Hench, "If this was during the night, every prisoner was in their cells. Someone had to open the cell for Fetcher."

"You are suggesting that a guard assisted in Fetcher's escape?" Hench asked.

"I am," Harry said.

"If this was so," Hench said, "The guard would have escaped with them. All guards have been accounted for here in Azkaban."

"Maybe they set him free," Harry said, "And stayed behind so there was no suspicion their way."

Hench stared at Harry for a moment.

"Potter has a point," Billingsley said, "Have you interrogated the guards?"

"We haven't had the time," Hench said, "The escape has caused quite a ruckus with the other prisoners. They believe that since Fetcher escaped, it makes their planned escapes much easier. We can't let a single guard be away from their duty."

"Then you are lucky we are here, Mr. Hench," Billingsley said, "We'll interrogate them for you."

Hench looked at the three of them, studying them.

"Well, if you think you can do it," he said, "You are very welcome to try."

Harry and Ron looked at each other. Neither of them were trained in interrogation. This was going to be quite the test for the two.

"Harry, Ron," Billingsley said, "Private meeting. Mr. Hench, if you please. We need to figure our strategy."

Harry, Ron and Billingsley walked a few feet away into a corner.

"Harry, do you really think a guard let Fetcher out?" Ron asked.

"How else could he get out?" Harry asked, "He wouldn't have been able to open a cell door himself."

"I agree," Billingsley said, "But just in case... we need to make sure. I'll check his cell to see the door, and if it was damaged. You two are going to find out how Fetcher escaped from the prison."

"How?"Ron asked.

"He must have apparated, right?" Billingsley asked.

"I thought it was impossible to apparate out of here," Harry said.

"There must have been a way," Billingsley said, "Find it."

"What about interrogating the guards?" Ron asked.

"Hench can figure out the best way to sort that out," Billingsley said, "We can't interrogate them one at a time, or else we'll be here for a while. Believe me, we do not want to do that."

Billingsley walked back over to Hench.

"Mr. Hench," he said, "We have a few requests. First, I am going to need a guard to accompany me to Fetcher's cell. I will need to investigate it. My two colleagues will also need an escort. They are going to try to find out where Fetcher escaped from. Can you do that?"

"Of course," Hench said.

"Lastly," Billingsley said, "We need you to figure out how to wrangle up the guards for interrogation. Obviously they can't all do it at once, or there would be a chance at another escape or riot. You must figure out how to accomplish this, and we will interrogate them when we are done with our tasks."

"I think I can do that," Hench said.

Hench took his wand from his pocket, and pointed it at the door they had come through. In an instant, the same two guards from before appeared.

"Sir?" one of the guard said.

"Guard Prentiss," Hench said, looking at the smaller of the two guards, "You will accompany Mr. Billingsley here to Fetcher's cell."

"Yes, sir," Prentiss said.

"Guard Deakins," Hench said, "You will accompany these two where ever they see fit to go. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," Deakins said.

"Good," Hench said.

Harry and Ron followed Deakins out of the office.

"Where should we look first?" Ron asked.

Harry pondered this for a moment. Then he decided.

"Deakins, is it?" Harry asked the guard.

Deakins nodded.

"During the last riot," Harry said, "Where did the Death Eaters get in?"

Deakins raised an eyebrow, and didn't answer straight away. He seemed to have been thinking of his answer.

"On the west side of the prison," Deakins said.

"How was the damage?" Harry asked.

"Pretty severe," Deakins said, "It took some time to repair, and it still looks pretty messed up."

"That is where we will go first," Harry said to Ron, "If it is still weak from the last attack, the protections near that part of the prison can't be too strong. Fetcher might have been able to apparate from their safely without a barrier."

"It's possible," Ron said.

"Lead the way, Deakins," Harry said.

Deakins nodded and walked down the corridor. Harry and Ron followed him.

After ten minutes of walking, Harry wondered when they would arrive at their destination. Harry had never realized just how big this prison was until he was inside it. Finally, Deakins stopped and turned around. They were in front of a very large wall. No windows were there.

"This is where the Death Eaters came in during the last riot," he said.

"Okay, Ron," Harry said, "Look around for anything suspicious. Any weakness in the wall."

Ron nodded. Harry walked over to part of the wall in front of them, and started searching for clues. He closely examined the wall, every inch of it, but could not find any cracks or anything.

"Finding anything, Ron?" he asked.

"Nothing," Ron said, "It's almost like it..."

Ron groaned.

"Like it didn't happen here," Ron said.

Harry looked at Ron. Ron was looking behind them, at Deakins. Harry turned around, only to see Deakins pointing his wand straight toward him.

**Cliffhanger! Was this ending obvious? Did you catch it early on? If you did, bravo! **

**Let me know what you think of this chapter! More to come soon!**


	27. Doubts

**Chapter 27  
****Doubts**

**Author's Note: Some fans have been wanting more of Ron's participation in Azkaban. I have a very big thing planned for him, that hopefully will come in this chapter. I will warn you now. This chapter gets very emotional! Enjoy!**

**(Ron's PoV)**

"Expelliarmus!" Deakins said.

Ron and Harry's wands leaped from their hands and flew toward Deakins, who caught them.

"You two are too meddlesome for your own good," Deakins said, an evil smirk forming across his lips.

"It was you!" Ron said, "You allowed Fetcher to escape. Why?"

"I have my reasons," Deakins said.

Ron chanced a glance at Harry. The look in Harry's eyes told Ron that he was thinking of a plan. But how were they going to get out of this? Could they keep Deakins talking long enough for someone to come along?

"You weren't alone in this, were you?" Harry asked.

Ron grinned privately. Harry must have been thinking the same thing he was. Keep Deakins talking, that's the trick.

"Someone else is involved," Ron said, "Is it Hench?"

"No, Hench doesn't seem the type," Harry said, his eyes still on Deakins.

"You two are pretty smart," Deakins said, "Quite the team. A little too smart for Aurors in training."

"Maybe you were just at the bottom of your class," Harry said.

"If you even are an Auror," Ron scoffed.

"Oh, I'm an Auror," Deakins said, "I'm just one of the few who knows better than to play pet for the Ministry. You spend too long in this profession, boys, and you'll learn things. Things you would never believe. You think the precious Ministry has changed for the good? It's barely a step above how it was when the Dark Lord took free-reign."

"Kingsley Shacklebolt made the Ministry a better place," Harry said. "He made the wizarding world a better place."

"Yeah," Ron said.

"Shacklebolt is just as corrupt as Cornelius Fudge," Deakins said, "Rumor has been going around in here that the two are working together to make the wizarding world, as you say, a better place. Is that true?"

Ron looked at Harry. He could tell in his expression it was true.

"You two are so blind with your dedication," Deakins said, "I bet you don't even see the corruption that is right under your nose."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, "Spit it out!"

"He isn't going to tell us," Ron snarled, "Why would he?"

"He has us where he wants us," Harry said, "He's just dying to tell someone what he knows. Who would we tell? If his plan goes well, we won't even get out of here."

Ron glanced sideways at Harry. What was he talking about? Did Harry really believe they were going to die here?

"Nice try, kid," Deakins said, "I'm not telling you anything. Now, how about we just get this over with. I can just tell Hench a couple prisoners tried to escape, and killed you in the process. What are a couple prisoners' lives really worth when it comes to the greater good?"

"Greater good," Harry said, "You know nothing about the greater good."

"I suppose you think you do," Deakins said. "Let me tell you something, kid. You may have defeated the Dark Lord. The precious Aurors may have taken out the Death Eaters.. But it isn't over. There are still those who are loyal to the Dark Lord's noble work! With you gone, Potter, it will make our job a whole lot easier."

Ron's eyes widened. He looked at Harry. Oddly enough, Harry's eyes were closed. Had he given up?

Deakins pointed his wand at Harry, and looked at Ron.

"Don't worry," he said to Ron, "You won't be parted from your friend for long. Ava-"

Suddenly, Deakins eyes went large, and he stiffened up. A moment later, he fainted to the ground. Ron looked from Deakins' stunned body. He then looked up and saw Billingsley there. Billingsley walked over to Deakins and nudged him with his foot.

"He won't be getting up for a little while," Billingsley said, then picked up Ron and Harry's wands, "I think these belong to you."

"How did you know?" Ron asked, as he and Harry took their wands.

"Prentiss," Billingsley said, turning and pointing at something behind him.

Ron looked over Billingsley's shoulder. The guard, Prentiss, was floating in mid-air, bound and stunned.

"He tried to attack me," Billingsley said, "But I was too quick for him. I realized he must have been behind Fetcher's escape. I was going to take him back to Hench, then I realized that Deakins might be involved, so I came looking for you."

"You were right," Ron said.

"Thanks," Harry said.

"Did Deakins say anything to you?" Billingsley asked.

"Only that there are people still loyal to Voldemort's work," Ron said.

"We knew of that possibility already," Billingsley said.

"Does that mean our mission is over?" Ron asked, "We can take these two back to the Ministry and that is it?"

"We still need to make sure no one else is involved," Harry said, "Deakins and Prentiss may not be the only ones here who helped Fetcher escape."

"Harry's right," Billingsley said, "This is our exam this month remember. We don't want to fail it just because we did the job only halfway."

"Right," Ron said, "Guess we should be going back to Hench then, eh?"

Ron pointed his wand at Deakins.

"Incarcerous!" he said.

Ropes appeared from Ron's wand and wrapped around Deakins' entire body.

"Mobilicorpus!" Ron said.

Deakins' body began to rise, then hovered in mid-air.

"Nice work," Harry said.

"Lead the way, Harry," Billingsley said, "I'll take the back and tow Prentiss along."

Ron kept his wand pointed at Deakins, moving him along, as they followed Harry back to the main office.

"What is the bloody meaning of this?" Hench said, as soon as he saw Ron and the others, "Two of my guards, stunned?"

"They were responsible for Ralph Fetcher's escape," Billingsley said.

"Impossible!" Hench said, "I trust these two."

"You should be careful with who you trust then," Ron said. "Deakins was about to kill Harry and I before Billingsley stepped in."

"Prentiss was about to do the same to me," Billingsley said, "Luckily, I was quicker."

"I-I don't know what to say," Hench said.

"What about the other guards?" Harry asked, "Are they ready for interrogation?"

"You aren't telling me that you expect there to be more behind this?" Hench said.

"Whether they are or not," Ron said, "That is what we are going to find out."

"If you please, Mr. Hench," Billingsley said. "We don't have all day."

The expression on Hench's face told Ron he was hiding back a retort. If he was, Hench didn't say anything. Instead, he walked past Ron and the others and headed out the door.

"Something's fishy with that man," Ron said.

"I don't think so," Harry said, "He just trusts his guards. It is understandable to see him shocked."

"It is blind trust," Ron said, "And to think these were Aurors."

"I think we'll find these two," Billingsley said, nodding to the stunned bodies of Deakins and Prentiss, "Are more than just Aurors."

"What do you mean?" Ron asked.

"Can't say just yet," Billingsley said, "I'd hate to stir up something and let it be false."

"Well, Deakins is definitely allied with the Dark Arts," Harry said, "The way he talked about Voldemort."

"Yeah, 'the Dark Lord' and all that rubbish," Ron said.

"Don't forget," Harry said, "he was going to kill us to keep what he knows a secret."

Ron stared blankly at Deakins. Harry was right. Their lives were on the line today. There was a good chance they wouldn't have made it out of Azkaban if it wasn't for Billingsley.

"What are we going to do about these two?" Harry asked, "Reckon we should take them to the Ministry before too long."

"I reckon you're right," Billingsley said.

"I've never transported a body before by magic," Harry said, "Let alone two."

"Me either," Ron said.

"I'm sure we can find someone around here to do it," Billingsley said.

"If we can find anyone trustworthy," Ron said, "It'd be a right sight to trust someone, only to find out they are another traitor who transported these two to some evil bloke headquarters."

Harry chuckled. At that moment, Hench walked back into the office.

"You're in luck," he said, "I just caught up with a few guards who are available for questioning. I would be careful, though. They aren't too happy. This is their break, when they can eat and sleep, and they are usually pretty moody if they miss lunch."

"We'll watch our backs," Harry said.

"Is there anything else I can do?" Hench asked.

"Yes, actually," Billingsley said, "We need to transport Prentiss and Deakins back to the Ministry for further questioning. The only way to do that way out here is by magical transportation, and unfortunately, we aren't trained enough to do that."

"No need to continue," Hench said, grinning, "I completely understand. I can take care of that. But protocol says that one of you needs to be at the Ministry to pick them up. I know the Auror department like the back of my hand. So tell me where you want to pick them up, and I'll do the rest."

Harry, Ron and Billingsley looked at each other.

"Who's going?" Ron asked.

"Ron, you better go," Harry said, "Billingsley and I are better with interrogation."

Ron nodded instantly. He was happy for any chance to get away from Azkaban.

"We'll go with you to the fireplace," Harry said, "There is no way I'm letting you go there alone."

Ron nodded again. He looked at Hench.

"Transport these two to the Auror Locker rooms," he said, "Twenty minutes should be enough."

"Harry and I will be back soon to start questioning the guards," Billingsley said, "Please have them ready then."

Hench nodded. Ron, Harry and Billingsley walked out of the office, and headed for the fireplace.

"You know what to do when you get there, Ron?" Harry asked.

"Don't worry about me," Ron said, "I'm just worried about you two. Don't want to spend too much longer in here."

"We'll be fine and back before you know it," Harry said, "I'll send an owl your when I am finished."

A few minutes later, they arrived at the door to the Floo room. Billingsley took his wand out and pointed it at the door. A few clanking noises later, and the door was open. Ron walked in, and found a bag of Floo Powder on the desk.

"See you soon," Harry said.

"Good luck," Ron said.

He threw a handful of Floo powder into the fire, which turned green, then took another handful and walked into the fireplace.

"Ministry of Magic, Auror Locker Rooms!" he stated clearly, and dropped the Floo Powder.

A few moments later, Ron arrived in a cloud of dust and soot. The two stunned guards hadn't arrived yet, so Ron went to his locker and changed. It felt good to get out of his old clothes. It was like a weight had been lifted since he had left Azkaban.

"You do not want me as your enemy," a voice said.

Ron slowly turned around. There was nobody there. Where did that voice come from? And why did it sound so familiar?

"I am more powerful than you," the voice said, "And higher ranked."

Ron crept down the row of lockers and turned the corner, hiding against the locker. The owner of the voice was near. He peered around the corner. Shippe was at the end of the next row of lockers. Another man, who Ron had recognized as one of his fellow Aurors-in-training, but couldn't remember the name, was pinned up against the locker.

"I-I-I don't know what you are talking about," the trainee said, "I didn't see anything."

Shippe stared at the trainee. It was a deep, dark stare. Ron instantly recognized it as Legillimency.

"Trying to use Occlumency on me, are you?" Shippe asked, "You're hiding something."

"N-no," the trainee said.

Crack! Crack! The two stunned guards appeared near Ron. He did his best to muffle his gasps, then looked at Shippe. Shippe was looking in his direction! Had he seen him?

"What was that?" Shippe yelled, "Who is there? Show yourself!"

Ron sighed. Shippe hadn't seen him.

"I will deal with you later," Shippe said to the trainee.

Ron then heard two different sets of footsteps. One was faster, heading the opposite direction. And the other was heading his way! Ron hurried over toward the two stunned guards.

"Weasley?" Shippe said, "What are you doing?"

Ron froze. He slowly turned toward Shippe.

"Er..." he started.

"I thought you were at Azkaban," Shippe said, "Investigating Fletcher's escape. Where's Potter and Billingsley?"

Ron stared at Shippe. He didn't know what to say.

"Who are they?" Shippe demanded, pointing at the stunned guards behind Ron.

Ron decided it was best just to tell the truth. Shippe didn't know he was eavesdropping on him, so he didn't have to say anything about that.

"We believe these two guards helped Fetcher escape," Ron said. "Harry and Billingsley are still at Azkaban, working on more leads. I was picked to take these two back here for interrogation."

Shippe looked at Ron, then the two guards, then back at Ron.

"What proof do you have?" he asked.

Ron told Shippe what happened with the guards.

"He told you he was an ally of the Dark Lord?" Shippe asked, "Why?"

"He thought he was going to kill Harry and I," Ron said. "He didn't think we'd get away to tell somebody."

"Lucky for you Billingsley came to help then," Shippe said.

"Yeah," Ron said.

"Well, all right," Shippe said, "Help me take these two to the holding cells, and then you can have the rest of the day off. I'm sure Harry and Billingsley will be fine."

Ron nodded. He pointed his wand at the two guards and made them hover in air. He and Shippe escorted the two guards to the holding cells and put them in two separate cells.

"Hey, Weasley?" Shippe said.

Ron froze. Did Shippe actually know he was eavesdropping on him and the trainee?

"Good work," Shippe said, "If we get the answers we need, you, Potter and Billingsley will have passed the second course of the exams with flying colors."

"Th-thanks, sir," Ron said.

"You may go," Shippe said.

Ron hurried as fast as he could out of the Auror office. He had much to think about. How were Harry and Billingsley doing? Were they getting any more answers? Would they be away from Azkaban soon? And what exactly was Shippe talking to that trainee about?

A few hours later, Ron was at home, sitting on his living room couch. Over the past few hours, he had done a lot of waiting. Waiting for Hermione to get home so he could talk to her. Waiting for an owl to arrive from Harry, telling him what had happened after he left.

Neither had happened yet, and because of this, he had begun to do a lot of thinking. He was trying not think of anything that had happened today, and tried to think of happy thoughts, of Hermione. But after a while, he started thinking of Azkaban and the horrors within, and almost getting killed by a rogue Auror. When he tried his best to stop thinking of that, his mind went to Shippe. Shippe had looked so angry when he was talking to the trainee. What could have possibly happened? He tried to think back on the conversation the two were having. The trainee's voice... he was frightened. Shippe was a pretty intimidating guy, but would would Shippe have done to frighten him? Did the trainee see something that Shippe had done, or the other way around?

Ron turned on the telly, hoping to find a football game or something that could take his mind off of things. He flipped through the channels, but there was nothing on to his liking. The moment he turned off the telly, he heard a sharp click nearby. He looked toward the window, and saw Harry's owl Ares perched on the windowsill.

"Finally!" Ron said, walking over to the window.

He opened the window, and Ares flew into the room. Ron untied the letter from Ares' leg. The writing on the outside was Ginny's. What was she writing about? Had Harry not come back yet?

Ron quickly unrolled the letter and started to read.

_Ron, _

_Harry wanted to write this to you, but he was so weak when he got home, he could barely tell me what happened when I demanded information from him. I was about to write to you to ask what the bloody hell was going on, but he finally decided to talk. He wanted me to write to you about what he told me. He said that he and Billingsley interrogated almost two dozen guards, and as far as he could tell, none of them were suspicious. I assume you know what I am talking about, so I won't get into specifics. He then told me that Shippe gave him, you and Billingsley the day off tomorrow to recover from your trip to Azkaban._

_Why the heck did he send you on a mission to Azkaban anyway? Is he mental? Harry said this was supposed to be your second exam, but I have never heard of an exam like this! I am sure Hermione hasn't either! If I had a right mind, I'd talk to Dad and get him to complain to Kingsley about this. You could have been killed today! Harry basically passed out as I was helping him into bed. Azkaban must have been horrible! I do hope you are okay. Please write back to me. I am very worried. If you don't write, I will come over and knock your door down. I do know where you live, remember!_

_Ginny_

"Bloody hell, Ginny," Ron muttered, "Calm down."

Ron was relieved Harry was okay, but he wondered how long Harry had been at Azkaban. Ginny said he had practically passed out when he came home. They had only planned on being there a couple hours to be safe...

Ron quickly found a quill and piece of parchment and started writing.

_Ginny,_

_I am fine. Don't worry. I didn't stay as long as Harry and Billingsley did. And don't talk to Dad. Please. We knew what we were getting into. This is what Aurors do. We may just be Aurors-in-Training, but this is what we are training for. _

_Ron_

Ron decided to keep the letter short. He didn't want to write about what he was thinking. If he was going to talk to anyone about what he had dealt with, he was going to tell Hermione first. He rolled up the piece of parchment and tied it to Ares' leg. Ares flew out the window.

Ron sighed and sat back down on the couch. As much as he didn't want to admit it in the letter, Ginny had a point about one thing. Why did Shippe assign them a mission to Azkaban, when they weren't fully trained yet. Shippe did sound rather impressed after Ron told him what was going on. And Shippe did give them a day off. He never did that. Ron didn't know if that was strange or not.

The front door opened, and Ron turned suddenly, only to see Hermione walk in.

"Hi, Ron!" Hermione said, "How was training?"

Ron sighed.

"Actually I'd like to talk to talk to you about that," he said.

"Oh... okay," Hermione said.

She walked over to the couch and sat down.

"Ron, you look kind of pale!" she gasped, when she got a better look at him, "What happened?"

"You remember Ralph Fetcher?" Ron asked.

Hermione nodded.

"Sometime during the night," Ron said, "He escaped from Azkaban."

Hermione gasped again.

"Kingsley told Shippe, our instructor," Ron said, "And he told Shippe that the Aurors-In-Training would be in charge of investigating Fetcher's escape. The investigation would be our exam for this month."

"I don't understand," Hermione said, "The result of the exam would be if you can find Fetcher?"

"Or information relating to his capture," Ron said, nodding.

"Kingsley gave you a mission that is supposed to be for actual Aurors?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Ron said, "All the Aurors are busy with other things, I guess."

"So what was your role in this mission?" Hermione asked.

Ron sighed silently.

"Harry, Billingsley and I were sent to investigate Fetcher's escape," Ron said, then paused for a moment, "In Azkaban."

"You went to Azkaban?" Hermione asked, "No wonder you look so pale! What happened?"

Ron explained meeting the two guards and Hench, then going to search for clues of how Fetcher escaped from Azkaban.

"Something was fishy," Ron said, "The wall—it looked—well, it looked... normal. Like nothing had even happened. I turned, ready to ask the guard if he had taken Harry and I to the right place... and..."

"And what?" Hermione asked.

"The guard turned his wand on Harry and I," Ron said.

Hermione's hands flew to her mouth.

"The guard," Ron forced himself to continue, "he basically told us he had taken part in Fetcher's escape. He said he was an ally of Voldemort. Then—and then-"

Ron looked down at his hands, which were shaking. He had thought of this moment for a long while today. What was he going to tell Hermione?

"And what?" Hermione said, her voice muffled behind her hands.

"And... Billingsley saved us," Ron said.

He couldn't tell her just yet. He had to get the rest of the story done. Maybe then, he would tell her. But could he? Did he really want to let her know?

"He stunned the guard," Ron continued. "He told us that the other guard, that was with him, had almost attacked him. Well, we brought back to the two guards to the guard office. I then went back to the Ministry, with the two guards, and they are now locked in a cell, or being interrogated. I don't know which."

"How's Harry?" Hermione asked.

"He's okay," Ron said, "He had stayed at Azkaban with Billingsley for a while, to interrogate more guards, you see. A couple minutes before you arrived, I got a letter from Ginny. Harry's back at his house, so I guess he is fine. He's kinda weak from the trip, though, but he seems to be fine."

"I still can't believe Kingsley wanted you to do the mission," Hermione said, "You could have been hurt!"

Until now, Ron hadn't looked up from his shaking hands. But now, it seemed it was time to tell Hermione. He knew it would come to this.

"Hermione," Ron said, "I-I didn't tell you everything."

"Okay," Hermione said.

Ron didn't like the sound of Hermione's voice. It seemed to be quivering.

"Deakins, the guard who had attacked us," Ron said, "He—I thought—there was a m-moment before Billingsley saved us that—that I thought Harry and I were going to die right there."

Hermione gasped, and Ron could see tears pooling into Hermione's eyes.

"Ever since that happened," Ron said, his voice on the verge of breaking, "I have done a lot of thinking about that moment. What if I had died?"

"Ron!" Hermione said, her voice breaking, "You didn't. You're okay!"

"No, Hermione," Ron said, "I thought I really was going to die. I had never felt like that before in my life. Not during the Battle of Hogwarts, not during the battle with the Death Eaters, never. I have never felt like that before. All day, ever since it happened, I tried to figure out why I felt that. Why I felt really afraid."

Ron looked straight into Hermione's eyes.

"It was only a few minutes ago," Ron said, "When I saw you walk in, that I realized why."

Ron closed his eyes. Was he about to say this?

"I was afraid, really afraid," he continued, opening his eyes, "Because I realized I didn't know how you would feel if something had really happened to me. I realized that... I can't bear to think of what would happen. What if I ended up in another coma? And it was really long this time? What if I really died?"

"Ron, I-" Hermione began, but Ron put his hand up.

"Please, let me finish, Hermione," Ron said.

Ron realized his voice was becoming hoarse. Something inside him seemed to be trying to stop him from doing what he was about to do.

"I'm not strong enough to go through being an Auror, and thinking about you at the same time," Ron said. "Hermione, I-I can't... I can't marry you."

Tears started to pour from Hermione's eyes.

"Ron?" Hermione asked, "What are you saying?"

"After Fr-Fred died," Ron said, "I was a wreck. I tried to keep it inside, but I was an emotional wreck. George was even worse, and Mum was-"

Ron did his best to look away from Hermione. He thought her tears would kill him.

"If I married you," Ron said, "And then died during a mission, you would never be able to get over it. You are strong, but you're not that strong. I can't do that to you."

"Are y-you breaking up with me?" Hermione asked.

"I-I-I," Ron stammered, then swallowed, "I guess I am."

Hermione's crying had become downpours now.

"Hermione," Ron said, "I'm giving you this house. I can't take that away from you. I bought it for... for you."

For some reason, he couldn't say "us." Ron stood up and walked to the doorway. Hermione's sobs were almost deafening.

"I'll get my things later," Ron said, "Goodbye."

Ron opened the door and walked out of the house. It took all of his strength not to collapse onto the ground and cry. Tears began to stream down his face as he apparated to his next location.

**Oh my goodness, the end of this chapter almost killed me to write! I must say right now I am one of the world's biggest Ron/Hermione shippers, and I never thought I'd ever do this in a fan-fiction. This put me in tears.**

Well, it is probably obvious to you that some time soon they will get back together... they have to, right? When will that come? I don't know, but I hope you stick around for it!

**Feedback would be great. Seriously, I want to know what you think. If you yell at me for breaking up the best couple, I understand. **


	28. Regrets

**Chapter 28  
****Regrets**

**Author's Note: Thank you for all your awesome reviews from the last chapter. As some of you said, it is rather obvious Ron and Hermione will get back together soon. Now it is my job to figure out HOW and WHEN to do so. I don't want to do it too quick, because that would seem kind of pointless right? This is going to be tricky. This chapter starts a few minutes before the last chapter ended. Also a portion of this chapter is in italics, and we all know hates Italics, so if something messes up, you know why!**

**(Ginny's PoV)**

Ginny's day off from Quidditch practice had been quite boring... that is, until very recently. Even though it was her day off, she studied her Quidditch playbook because had nothing better to do. When she had finished with that, she had tried to watch the telly, but couldn't figure out how to work it.

When Harry returned home from training, he looked sick, almost to the point of collapsing...

_Flashback_

_Ginny was in the kitchen making dinner when the front door opened. _

_"Finally, you're home!" Ginny said, walking toward the living room, "Why did they keep you so-"_

_Ginny gasped. Harry was sitting against the backside of the couch, breathing hard. He was sweating profusely and he looked really pale._

_"Harry, what happened?" Ginny demanded._

_Harry shook his head, still breathing deeply._

_"Harry, tell me right now," Ginny said, in almost a strict motherly voice that sounded much like her own Mum's, "or I will send Ares to Ron. He'll tell me if you don't."_

_"Ron—already—know," Harry said, in between breathing, "Help me to the couch, will you?"_

_Ginny helped Harry off the floor, and over to the couch._

_"You've never come home from training looking like this!" Ginny said, helping Harry sit down, "What happened?"_

_"Been—Azkaban," Harry said, "Mission."_

_"Mission?" Ginny asked, "Harry, you're still in training. Why were you on a mission?" And did you say Azkaban?"_

_An odor of burning wafted in from the kitchen._

_"Oh, bloody hell!" Ginny said, "Harry, when I come back in, you are going to tell me everything!"_

_Ginny raced into the kitchen, where the pot of boiling potatoes was steaming rather profusely._

"_How water can burn, I don't know!" Ginny muttered to herself._

_She waved her wand and the water and boiling potatoes vanished. She then took a washcloth and soaked it down with water, then raced back into the living room. She walked over to Harry, who was laying down, and put the washcloth on his forehead._

"_Thanks, Ginny," Harry said._

"_You owe me now," Ginny said, "Tell me what happened."_

_Ginny listened to Harry's story._

"_And then Ron left to take the two suspects to the Ministry," Harry said, "I'm sure he's fine. He didn't stay too long."_

_"Why did you stay?" Ginny asked._

"_Billingsley and I," Harry said, "We interrogated the other guards that were there. There were like two dozen or so. It took so long."_

_Harry scoffed._

"_Pointless, really," he said, "We got nothing from them. They are as innocent as you and I."_

_"Then you came home?" Ginny asked._

_Harry nodded._

_"Billingsley told me to come home when we got back to the Ministry," he said, "He said he would do our reports. He could see the state I was in, and he was healthier, I guess you could say. He'd been there before... on a tour. So he knew what it was like to roam Azkaban."_

_"It must have been horrible," Ginny said, "I remember when Dad went for a visit. Ministry work, or something. He was different for a while when he came back, and he was only there for a few hours."_

_"I'll be okay," Harry said._

_"No, Harry, you need some rest," Ginny said, "Let me help you up to bed."_

_Harry shook his head, but when Ginny glared at him, he nodded. Ginny helped Harry walk up the stairs. It was a little tough, because every few steps, it seemed like he was going to faint. When Ginny finally got Harry into bed, he was fast asleep._

_Flashback ends_

Ginny had written Ron a letter demanding to know how he was, and was now waiting for Ares to come back. She had almost decided to start on dinner again, but she knew if the letter came before she was finished, the dinner would probably burn again. Even with magic, she was never good as her mother when it came to cooking.

Soon, there was a pecking sound on the window. Ginny raced over to the window, opened it and allowed Ares in. Ginny took the letter from Ares and read it.

"Don't talk to Dad," Ginny muttered, "Right. I still may do it. Sending Aurors in training to Azkaban for a mission. What were they thinking?"

CRACK! Ginny's head jerked toward the door. Was that apparation, or a car backfiring?

"Hello?" Ginny called, "Who's there?"

Ginny slowly walked over to the door. She thought she could hear something outside. She opened the door... and saw Ron on the steps. He was facing the other way, and he seemed to be shaking.

"Ron?" Ginny said.

He didn't seem to hear her. Ginny walked over to him. His face was between his knees, and he was sobbing.

"Ron?" Ginny asked, sitting beside him, "What happened?"

Could this have been from his trip to Azkaban? Had Ron been there longer than Harry thought? No, Ron had said in his letter that he was fine. But this was not "fine".

"Ron?" Ginny repeated a third time, "What happened? Is it Hermione -"

Ron jerked away from Ginny. Ginny gasped. What had happened to Hermione?

"You tell me now, Ronald Billius Weasley!" Ginny said, using the same tone her mother used constantly.

"Ha-have you e-ever done anything you ever regretted?" Ron stammered, his voice full of sobs.

"Well, sure," Ginny said, "Opening Tom Riddle's diary, for one. And... snogging boys I didn't really fancy."

Ginny expected Ron to laugh, but he seemed to be shaking even more.

"Why?" Ginny asked slowly, "What did you do?"

Ron muttered something Ginny couldn't hear.

"What?" Ginny said, "Didn't catch that."

"I left Hermione," Ron said.

"What?" Ginny asked, "You mean you-"

"I broke up with her!" Ron said, his voice louder than before.

"Why?" Ginny asked.

"Cause I'm a bloody arse, that is why!" Ron forced out.

"So you broke up with her because you are an arse?" Ginny replied. "Ron, this is the girl you couldn't stop talking about over the summer before school started every year. This is the girl, that, when she said she would come over, you'd count down the days till she did. You didn't even do that with Harry!"

"You think I don't know that, Ginny," Ron said.

"Then why did you really break up with her?" Ginny asked, "You were going to get married. Ron, she took me to Diagon Alley this weekend just to help her shop for your wedding."

"If you are trying to help me," Ron said, "This isn't working."

"Just tell me why, then," Ginny said.

"Because I thought I was going to die in Azkaban today!" Ron forced out.

"What?" Ginny said. "Ron, Harry told me what happened. You weren't going to die."

"He said that because he is bloody brave," Ron said, scoffing, "There was a chance, we both knew it. And... there is always going to be that chance. I can't do that to Hermione."

"You just said it, Ron," Ginny said, "There is always going to be that chance. If you ask me, it is a sad excuse to break up with a girl."

Ron looked over at Ginny, his soaked eyebrows narrowed.

"Ron," Ginny said, "Hermione loves you. I don't know why she does. I'm sure she told you why. But she does. Let me tell you from experience... you need to count yourself lucky with this."

"It would have only broken her heart if I died," Ron said.

"Oh, and you don't think her heart is broken now?" Ginny asked, "She's probably crying her eyes out."

"You don't need to give me more reasons why I'm an arse," Ron said, "I have enough."

"Well, obviously you regret doing this," Ginny said. "You should go back to her and tell her you are sorry."

"She wouldn't take me back," Ron muttered, "I broke her heart, remember."

"Ron, if there is one person in this world who would take you back," Ginny said, "It is Hermione Granger. You are lucky she is that way too. Otherwise, you wouldn't been friends with her past your first year at Hogwarts."

Ron scoffed.

"I can't face her after this," Ron said.

"Right," Ginny said, "Some bloody Gryffindor you are."

Ron narrowed his eyes.

"Gryffindors are supposed to be brave," Ginny reminded him.

"Then I guess I should have been in Slytherin," Ron muttered. "With the cowards like Malfoy."

The front door opened, and Ginny looked over her shoulder. Harry was in the doorway.

"Harry, what are you doing out of bed?" Ginny demanded.

"I thought I heard Ron's voice," Harry said, then looked at Ron, "I guess I was right. What's going on?"

Ginny looked at Ron.

"Do you want to tell him, or should I?" Ginny asked.

Ron scoffed.

"He broke up with Hermione," Ginny said.

"Why did you go and do something like that?" Harry asked.

"Cause he's a bloody arse," Ginny said.

"What she said," Ron muttered.

"Poor girl," Harry said, "I bet she's crying her eyes out."

"That's what I said!" Ginny said.

"Ron, you better go and talk to her," Harry said.

"I can't," Ron said.

"If you don't," Harry said, "Then I will."

"Why?" Ron asked.

"Because I am not going to see my two best friends end up like this because one is a complete arse."

"You don't even know why I broke up with her," Ron said.

"Why, then?" Harry asked.

"Cause I almost got killed today!" Ron yelled.

Harry laughed.

"Shut up," Ron said, "So did you."

"Yeah, and you don't see me breaking up with Ginny over it, do you?" Harry asked.

"No," Ron said, "Cause she'd kill you if you did."

"It's true," Ginny said.

"This is what we do, Ron," Harry said.

"I can't think of what Hermione would do if I got killed," Ron said.

"Oh, so you break up with her," Ginny said, "And hope she'd just forget about you if you got killed?"

Ron didn't reply.

"You are a complete arse if you think that," Ginny said.

"That does it," Harry said, "I am going over and talking to Hermione."

"Harry," Ginny said, "You aren't feeling well."

"I feel well enough for this," Harry said.

Before Ginny could reply, Harry apparated with a CRACK!

"He's going to be the death of me," Ron muttered.

Ginny sighed. She couldn't help, but agree with her brother.

**(Harry's PoV)**

Harry's feet landed on the front step of Hermione and Ron's house. Without caring to look if a Muggle noticed, he walked to the door, and knocked on it.

"Go away, Ron!" Hermione's voice echoed from inside the house.

"Hermione, it's Harry," Harry said.

A moment later, the door opened. Hermione was standing in the doorway.

"You look... terrible," Harry said.

It was true. Hermione's face, hair, and shirt were all soaked with tears. Just what had Ron done?

"You don't look too good yourself," Hermione muttered, "Get in here, before the neighbors start talking."

Harry followed Hermione into the house.

"Hermione," Harry said, "Ron-"

"Don't say his name!" Hermione growled.

"What, so it's Tabooed now?" Harry asked.

"In this house it is," Hermione said, "You say it, and I'll..."

Hermione growled again.

"You'll growl at me," Harry said, "Great."

Hermione rolled her eyes, walked over to the reclining char and forcefully sat down on it.

"Okay," Harry said, "The couch looks more comfortable than that thing, but..."

"It's where he sat," Hermione said, "When he—he..."

Tears began trickling down Hermione's face.

"He's pretty broken up about it, you know," Harry said.

"Oh, so I suppose he went over to your house," Hermione said.

"Yes," Harry said.

"Good!" Hermione said, "He can stay there!"

"He still loves you, you know," Harry said.

Hermione scoffed.

"And I know you love him," Harry said.

Hermione scoffed again, even louder.

"Oh you don't, do you?" Harry asked. "Then why do you still have the engagement ring on?"

Hermione looked at her hand. She went to take it off, but Harry was there first to stop her.

"Believe me," Harry said, "You don't want to do that."

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"Because you'll take him back," Harry said, "You always do. It is like this every time. He always comes crawling back with apologies. Heck, he was probably wanting to apologize about it as soon as he walked out the door."

"Then why didn't he, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Because he wasn't sure if you'd let him," Harry said.

More tears leaked down Hermione's face.

"He thought he really messed up this time," Harry said, "He keeps calling himself an arse."

"Good," Hermione said, the first grin of the night coming across her face.

"Harsh," Harry said.

"He said he didn't want to marry me," Hermione said.

"Did he say why?" Harry asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Cause he thought that if he died," Hermione said, "I'd take it too badly."

A sob escaped Hermione's lips.

"He's right," she said.

"I wouldn't allow that to happen," Harry said.

Hermione smiled softly.

"What did you say when he said this?" Harry asked.

"He wouldn't let me say anything," Hermione said. "I tried to tell him that it wouldn't happen to him. But he kept interrupting me."

"I think he only realized that after he left," Harry said, "Hermione, do you want me to tell him you'll take him back."

"Can't I stay mad at him for a few days?" Hermione asked.

"Wouldn't that make it worse?" Harry asked.

"Probably," Hermione said, with a smirk.

"You're evil," Harry said, "You want him to think you are mad at him."

"I am mad at him," Hermione said.

Another sob escaped her lips.

"And at the same time I want him back in my arms," she said.

"Well, it is your decision," Harry said.

"Bring him back to me, Harry," Hermione said.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked.

Hermione nodded.

"Okay," Harry said, "But you have to promise me three things."

"Anything," Hermione said.

"Don't kill him," Harry said.

Hermione laughed. "I'll try not to," she said, "And the second."

"If you two split up again," Harry said, "Tell him not to come to me."

"Hopefully it never comes to that," Hermione said, "And the third?"

"Don't let this happen again," Harry said.

"I'll try," Hermione said.

Harry smiled, then apparated, landing back on his front porch a moment later. Ron and Ginny weren't outside, so he walked back into the house. He found them sitting on the couch in the living room. Ron turned around so quickly, Harry wouldn't surprised if he had hurt himself.

"What did she say?" Ron asked.

"Well, she's promised not to kill you," Harry said.

Ron's expression sank. "Is that all?" he asked.

"She said she'd take you back," Harry said, grinning. "Oh, and you better give her a good explanation when you go back to her. She didn't say that. I did."

"I don't know what I'm going to say," Ron said.

"I think an apology is in order first," Ginny said.

"I still don't want anything to happen to her," Ron said, "If something happens to me and I-"

"Nothing's going to happen to you, mate," Harry said, "I'll make sure of that. You'll live to be older than Dumbledore if I have my way."

"I'm an idiot," Ron said.

"Yes you are," Ginny said, "But I think that is why Hermione loves you."

"Well, time to go face fate," Ron said, "Thanks, guys."

"No problem," Harry said, "Just don't do it again."

"I'll try," Ron said.

He then apparated with a CRACK!

"'I'll try'," Harry said, then laughed.

"What?" Ginny asked.

"That is exactly what Hermione said," Harry said, "When I told her the same thing."

"They really are perfect for each other," Ginny said, smiling.

-  
**(Ron's PoV)**

Ron landed on the front porch of his house. He took a deep breath, then walked up to the door and knocked on it. Ron heard the sound of hurrying footsteps. The door opened and Hermione was there, standing in the doorway.

Ron was suddenly reminded of when he had come back to Harry and Hermione, after leaving them during their hunt for the Horcruxes. Hermione's expression was almost identical to that moment.

"You complete arse, Ronald Weasley," Hermione said.

Ron braced himself for what he thought was going to be another physical lashing from Hermione. But when she pounced on him this time, it was, to Ron, the most welcoming hug he ever had in his life.

"I'm sorry," Ron said, his voice muffled into Hermione's shoulder.

"You better be," Hermione said.

Though when she backed away, she was smiling. Hermione took Ron's hand and led him inside. Ron looked down at her hand.

"The ring?" Ron said, looking up at Hermione.

"I never took it off," Hermione said, smiling.

"I don't deserve you," Ron said, shaking his head, "I broke your heart and you still love me."

"You may have broken my heart," Hermione said, "But you also mended it just a moment ago when you showed up on the doorstep."

"I'm sorry about everything I said," Ron said, "I... the only thing that kept me going in Azkaban today was the thought of you. Unfortunately that backfired on me, I guess."

"I can't say I blame you for saying those things," Hermione said, "I would be really depressed if something happened to you."

Ron sighed. Hermione took his hand.

"Look at me," she said, moving closer to him, "That is something we have to live with. We don't know what will happen. That is the dangers of being an Auror. But Ron, I would never ask you to stop being an Auror. I don't want you to stop. You have the makings of a brilliant Auror."

Ron smiled.

"I really don't deserve you," Ron said.

"I really wish you'd stop saying that," Hermione said.

"Make me," Ron said, with a smirk.

Hermione grinned. She kissed him so passionately, Ron was surprised she didn't knock him over. He deepened the kiss, and she giggled a little, but didn't back away like he thought she would. Ron led her over to the couch and Hermione forced him onto it.

"You know," Hermione said, "Because of the last discussion we had on this couch, I was ready to burn it."

"Let's just forget about that, huh," Ron said.

"You're going to have to try pretty hard to get me to do that," Hermione said.

Ron grinned and pulled Hermione on to him.

"What do you have in mind?" he asked.

"I'm sure I can think of a few things," Hermione said.

"You know," Ron said, "I think I was right. I really don't des-"

Hermione kissed him before he could finish the sentence. Ron knew if he let her have her way, he wouldn't say much more that night.

**Aaah, I couldn't do it. I didn't want them apart too long! I guess it is the Ron/Hermione shipper in me, eh? Yes, I'll blame it on that. I hope you forgive me if you wanted the separation to last a little longer. I was going to call this chapter "Reunion" but that would give way too much away!**

**Also, before you say anything, I know it is not possible to burn water. I was just trying to make it a little funny. **

**Definitely want to hear what you think about this chapter! **


	29. Bad News

**Chapter 29  
****Bad News**

**Author's Note: Warning, first part of this chapter is a little... risque!**

(Ron's PoV)

Ron woke up the next morning, his thoughts still filled with the events of the previous evening. He looked beside him to find Hermione there, still fast asleep, her bare body nestled as close to him as she could manage. The warmth of her body against his only brought back his memories ten-fold. Who would have thought that a nightmare of a day would have turned into such a memorable night?

Back when Ron first began wondering about how it would happen, he had always hoped that moment would be with Hermione. He had some doubts here and there.

There were times when he was with Lavender that he swore she was going to jump on him at any moment. It was when he thought of that, that he was extremely happy his relationship with her had come to an end... though even to this day, he wasn't exactly sure how it had ended. All he remembered was waking up, fully healed from his bout with the poisoned mead, to find that Lavender was extremely mad at him.

Now that moment had come, and with the girl of his dreams. He had taken that big step with her, and it seemed so unreal, almost as if it was a dream. Given the events of the previous day, he wouldn't have been surprised if it was a dream. Everything that happened, leaving Hermione so harshly in the living room, only to be welcomed back into her arms an hour later, with the help of his sister and best friend, all seemed too surreal. Everything that followed just topped the cake. Ron had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

"Ow!" he said, then grinned.

"Something wrong?" Hermione murmured sleepily beside him.

"Oh, I didn't mean to wake you up," Ron said, "You looked so beautiful asleep."

"Your fault," Hermione said, her mouth turning into a sleepy smile, "You sounded as if you were in pain."

"Had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming," Ron explained, "After last night..."

"If you were dreaming about all that," Hermione said, "Then I was as well."

"I wasn't that good," Ron said, rolling his eyes.

"You were amazing," Hermione said.

"Not that you have anything to compare it to," Ron said, then flinched suddenly at Hermione, "You didn't have anything to compare it to, right?"

"I think it was obvious I didn't," Hermione said, grinning.

"Oh, right," Ron said.

Hermione laughed.

"What you on about now?" Ron asked.

"Oh, just you," Hermione said, "You're so obvious sometimes."

"What?" Ron asked.

"Doubting yourself like that," Hermione said, "When there was no need to."

Ron grinned. Hermione moved herself closer to Ron and kissed him briefly on the lips.

"I'll let you in on a little secret," she whispered, her breath tickling his ear.

"Oh?" Ron asked.

"I had doubts about myself too, you know," she said.

"Oh, really," Ron said.

"Yes, really!" Hermione said, "You know me. I am so obsessive over everything I do. Making sure everything goes perfect, and without a hitch. But... when I am with you, I seem to become a different woman. I lose that obsessive feeling. I let myself go when I am with you, and at first I was afraid of that, because that isn't me."

"You don't need to be afraid of that," Ron said, "It is perfectly normal. Actually it is healthy to let yourself go, you know."

"Well, don't get used to it," Hermione said, with a smirk.

"Oh, never!" Ron said, grinning, "You are definitely not the type who would apparate right down to the Leaky Cauldron and order up a firewhiskey or something!"

"No, I have you to do that for me," Hermione said.

Ron chuckled, then something suddenly came to his mind.

"You're not going to tell anyone we—you know," Ron asked.

Hermione laughed out loud. "No!" she said, "Why would I?"

"Well, you know how girls are," Ron said, with a smirk, "You like to gossip. Just what I need. You talking to Ginny about this, then Harry finds out. Oh, you think it would be the worst thing if our best friend found out. Oh no. Before you know it, my mother would be at our front door, ready to turn this house into a two bedroom home just to separate us at night."

Hermione laughed.

"You think I'm joking?" Ron asked, "You don't know what it was like being around my Mum weeks before Bill and Fleur's wedding. Mum didn't want Bill to go anywhere, because, as you remember, the wizarding world was still a very dangerous place. So he and Fleur were in the same house, and Mum was just all of a wreck. Really, the only thing keeping Mum sane those days was the fact that Bill made his bedroom sound-proof. Bill was just lucky Mum never caught him and Fleur sneaking into their bedroom at different times of the day. Honestly, she'll go nuts if she found out what we did."

"Oh come on," Hermione said, laughing. It's not like it is taboo or anything."

"Mum seems to think so," Ron said, "before marriage at least."

"She already knows we're gonna get married," Hermione reminded him.

"Yeah, well if you want to plan our wedding," Ron said, "And want enough time to do so, you better hope my Mum doesn't find out. She'll drag us down the aisle herself straight away."

"So," Hermione said, grinning, "Does this mean you don't want to do that anymore? Until we get married?"

"I never said that," Ron said.

"Good," Hermione said, "Because if you said you didn't, I would have had to figure out some way to make you change your mind."

"You couldn't do that," Ron said.

"Ha!" Hermione laughed, "And I thought you knew me well."

"Well, if I knew you were going to be like this," Ron said, "I'd have tried harder in the past."

"Look at you," Hermione said, grinning with mock-sarcasm, "Trying to make me out to be like some scarlet woman!"

Ron laughed.

"You're lucky I love it," Hermione said, "And you."

"I love you too," Ron said, "Last night only deepened that."

"I think that was the point," Hermione said, chuckling.

Hermione leaned toward Ron and kissed him once again. Ron deepened the kiss. Hermione backed away and giggled.

"I need to get ready for work," she said.

"Do you have to?" Ron said, pouting, "We could just stay in bed all day."

"It's easy for you to say that," Hermione said, "You don't have to work today."

"Ugh, I'll be so bored," Ron said, sarcastically.

Hermione grinned and pecked Ron on the lips one more time, then proceeded to get out of bed. Ron just laid there, watching Hermione as she gathered up some clothes for the day and left to take a shower.

While Ron was making a quick breakfast for him and Hermione, there was a loud pecking noise on the kitchen window. Harry's owl, Ares, was sitting on the windowsill. Ron opened the window and let him in. Ron took the roll of parchment from the owl's leg, opened it up and began to read:

_Ron, _

_Ginny's going to be at Quidditch practice all day, and it is going to be bloody boring around here. Why Shippe gave us the day off, I don't know. I am feeling a lot better than I was yesterday. Anyway, I can't stay cooped up here alone, so I thought I'd go to Diagon Alley for a while around nine this morning. I figured since Hermione has to work today, you'll be alone too. If you want to come and hang out, meet me in the Leaky Cauldron at nine. We can discuss what happened yesterday after you left for the Ministry, since we didn't get the chance to do so yesterday. _

Ron looked up from the letter. He suddenly remembered the strange discussion Shippe and the trainee were having. Until now, he had forgotten all about it. He continued reading the letter.

_Speaking of, I hope you and Hermione sorted everything out. You probably did. You never could stay away from each other too long._

Hope you can make it,

_Harry_

Ron rummaged through the kitchen drawers, until he found a quill.

"Breakfast is burning, Ron," Hermione said behind Ron.

Ron looked at Hermione.

"You look nice," he said.

"Thanks," Hermione said, "Er... breakfast?"

Ron turned around. The bacon was turning black.

"Oh, bloody hell," Ron said, turning off the stove.

"It's okay," Hermione chuckled, "I like my bacon crispy."

"Ares came with a letter from Harry," Ron said, motioning to the owl, who was perched on the back of a chair, "Harry wants to meet me in Diagon Alley."

"Aw, are you going to have a boys' day out?" Hermione joked.

"We didn't have time to discuss what had happened at Azkaban yesterday," Ron said, "So he thought we could do that in Diagon Alley."

Hermione left for the Ministry soon after breakfast. Ron showered and made himself look presentable, then watched the telly to waste some time until he had to meet Harry. A few minutes before nine, he apparated to the Leaky Cauldron, and found Harry waiting near the bar. He was talking to Tom the barman.

"Believe me, you won't find me anywhere near Azkaban," Tom said, "Even though those bloody dementors are no longer there, just the thought of that place would give me the creeps."

"It's worse than you could ever imagine," Harry said.

"Hear, hear," Ron said.

Harry turned around.

"Oh good, you made it," Harry said.

"Can I get you anything, Mr. Weasley?" Tom asked.

"Nothing right now," Ron said, "Thanks, Tom."

"Hey, Tom," Harry said, "If we take a table here, could you make sure we don't have eavesdroppers. Auror-in-Training stuff, if you get my drift."

"Anything for you, Mr. Potter," Tom said.

Harry thanked Tom, and Ron followed him to a table in the darkest corner of the room.

"I'm actually glad you thought of this," Ron said, "Something happened yesterday after I came back to the Ministry, and I forgot to tell you about it."

"What happened?" Harry asked.

"You tell me your story first," Ron said.

"Mine isn't too interesting," Harry said. "After you left, Billingsley and I had to interrogate the other guards."

He scoffed.

"It was total waste of time too," he said. "None of the other guards were in on it. Billingsley was so sure some of them were lying, but they all had alibis."

"It makes sense when you think about it," Ron said, "I'm sure the guards have to work in pairs wherever they go. So Prentiss and Deakins would have worked their shifts together. I wouldn't be surprised if they hadn't volunteered for it together. Two evil blokes like that. I'm sure the both of them had planned this whole thing months ago, and the opportunity came to them just recently."

"You're probably right about that," Harry said. "Now, go on, tell me what happened with you."

"It's probably nothing," Ron said.

"Tell me, anyway," Harry said.

"Okay," Ron said, "Well, when I came back from Azkaban, Prentiss and Deakins hadn't arrived yet, so I went to change clothes. Then I heard a voice in the room, and decided to investigate it. When I found it, it was Shippe. He was talking to one of our fellow trainees."

"Who?" Harry asked.

"I don't know his name," Ron said, "But I'm sure if I see him again, I'll recognize him."

"What else happened?" Harry asked.

"Well," Ron said, "Shippe sounded like he was threatening the bloke."

"What?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," Ron said, "The trainee guy sounded like he was scared. He kept saying 'I didn't see anything'. It sounded like Shippe thought he was hiding something."

Harry stared, and Ron recognized the expression as one of a person deep in thought.

"What do you think?" Ron asked.

"No clue," Harry said, shrugging, "Perhaps Shippe thinks the bloke is someone Kingsley is looking for in his investigation."

"Yeah," Ron said, "But if that is so..."

"Then why didn't Kingsley find out himself?" Harry said, finishing Ron's sentence. "Yeah, that is what I thought too. Was there anything else they said?"

"Shippe thought the bloke was using Occlumency," Ron said.

"There you go, then," Harry said. "We know one of Kingsley's weaknesses is someone using Occlumency on him. Didn't that Head Judge bloke Hermione works with do the same thing?"

"Yeah," Ron said, "Yeah! That's right!"

"What happened next?" Harry asked.

"Nothing," Ron said, "Well... Deakins and Prentiss' stunned bodies arrived right at that moment. Shippe heard them appear, and he let the trainee bloke go."

"That's strange," Harry said. "If Shippe thinks the guy is guilty of something, why did he let him go?"

"Yeah," Ron said, "Pretty odd."

"What's odd?" a voice said nearby.

Ron and Harry looked up. Billingsley was walking toward them, with Tom shortly in tow.

"I-I'm sorry, Harry," Tom said, "This guy insisted he needed to talk to you."

"It's all right, Tom," Harry said, "I invited him as well."

"You did?" Ron asked.

"Oh," Tom said, "All right. Well, I'll just leave you then. Can't get any of you a butterbeer, can I?"

"We're okay," Harry said.

"Well," Tom said, "Okay, then."

Billingsley sat down next to Harry.

"I invited Billingsley, Ron," Harry said again, "I wanted to hear what happened after we left Azkaban."

"Oh, well, okay," Ron said, then looked at Billingsley, "So what did happen?"

"Shippe was so pleased with our work at Azkaban," Billingsley said, "That I was able to assist him with Deakins' and Prentiss' interrogations."

"Wicked," Ron said, admirably, "You learn anything?"

"Only a little bit," Billingsley said. "These two are very good at keeping things to themselves."

"Get on with it, then," Ron said.

"Even though Deakins led you two to the wrong spot in Azkaban," Billingsley said, "He did tell the truth about something. Fetcher was able to Apparate out of Azkaban, because the damage to a portion of the wall on the east end of the prison has broken some of the protections. The Apparation barrier is ineffective there. Guards have now been posted there full-time."

"So we know where Fetcher escaped," Ron said, shrugging, "That doesn't help us one bit now."

"No," Billingsley said, "It doesn't."

"What else did you learn?" Harry asked.

"Fetcher's list is real," Billingsley said, "Fetcher didn't just escape to be free. He was headed somewhere."

"Did they tell you if Fetcher is the leader of this group?" Ron asked, "Or just the messenger?"

"They didn't say anything about that," Billingsley said, "But I have to believe, and Shippe agrees with me, that he is just the messenger. Shippe believes it is highly possible Fetcher will turn up dead one day."

"So Deakins and Prentiss helped Fetcher escape," Harry said, "Just to let Fetcher give the list to somebody else."

"Which means there is someone else out there," Ron said. "A whole group of people. A new threat."

"Yes," Billingsley said, "Fetcher was the key to the threat. With him in Azkaban, this new group of bad guys couldn't do anything, because they didn't have their messenger. Now they do."

"What is Kingsley doing about this?" Harry asked.

"I was wondering when you would get to him," Billingsley said. "Shippe sent me a letter this morning, informing me of the aftermath this information has given us. I will tell you exactly what he told me. Now that there is a real threat to the wizarding world, the Minister of Magic has now taken all of his focus away from the Ministry. Except for one department: the Daily Prophet."

"He still believes there are traitors inside the Daily Prophet?" Ron asked.

"No," Billingsley said, "He is trying to make sure the wizarding world knows nothing about this new threat... at least until something can be done about it.."

"What?" Harry asked.

"You have to see his side," Billingsley said, "The Second War ended less than a year ago, and everyone is trying to get back on their feet. What do you think would happen if news about a new threat came out?"

"So Kingsley is going to keep everyone oblivious," Harry said, "until something actually happens."

"That's smart," Ron said, sarcastically.

"Anyway, the Minister is forcing the Daily Prophet to keep quiet about this," Billingsley said, "Today, he is forming a new department: the Public Security Department. Their only job is to make sure that none of the information, that the Ministry knows about this new threat, gets out into the wizarding world. Unfortunately, that puts a lot of people's jobs at stake."

Billingsley looked at Ron, his expression had turned glum.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Ron asked.

"Your fiancee, Hermione," Billingsley said, "What does she do?"

"She's a Court Respondent," Ron said. "She... oh."

"Exactly," Billingsley said.

"Er... what am I missing?" Harry asked.

"Hermione's job is take notes for the Wizengamot," Ron said, "And give them to the Daily Prophet.'

"And if Kingsley is barring the Daily Prophet from giving out crucial information," Billingsley said.

"Then Hermione can't give her notes to the Daily Prophet!" Harry said.

"Exactly," Billingsley said again.

Ron looked at Harry, whose expression was glum. Ron knew exactly what he was thinking. He was sure Hermione was going to come home with bad news.

======================================  
**(Hermione's PoV)**

Hermione was sitting at her usual spot in the high seats near the Wizengamot. The next case was due to start any minute. Susan Bones arrived in the room with Judge Morrison, and both walked up the stairs toward their usual seats. Hermione noticed that Susan seemed to be looking at her, but Hermione couldn't figure out the expression on her face. Was it sadness? What had happened?

"Susan?" Hermione asked, when Susan reached her row, "What's going on?"

"I'll... tell you after the case," Susan said.

"Oh, okay," Hermione said.

As Susan walked past her, Hermione looked at her. What did Susan want to tell her? Had something happened with Head Judge Morrison again? Before she could ponder the question any further, Morrison tapped his wand on the stand in front of him. The doors to the courtroom opened, and a number of men walked in. Two of the men were bound in magical shackles and escorted by Aurors. Hermione recognized one of the Aurors as Shippe, the man who trained Ron, Harry and the other Aurors-in-Training.

"This hearing is scheduled for Randall Deakins and Percival Prentiss," Morrison stated.

Hermione looked at Morrison, then the two prisoners. The prisoners' names sounded familiar, but Hermione couldn't place them.

"Your charges," Morrison continued, "are as follows: allowing a hgh-value prisoner, one Ralph Fetcher, to escape free from Azkaban, attempting to kill three Aurors-in-Training, and treason against the wizarding world."

Hermione then knew exactly who the two men were. One of them was the man responsible for almost killing Ron and Harry. Could this have been what Susan meant? Could she have been apologizing for Hermione being in this situation?

"This is only a hearing," Morrison said, "Your official case will start in one week. Until then, you will be in the custody of the Ministry."

Morrison tapped his wand on the stand in front of him. The prisoners were then led out of the courtroom. The Auror, Shippe, however, had remained.

"Ah, yes," Morrison said, "Auror Shippe. I know of your business here today."

"Good," Shippe said, "That will make it much more simple."

Hermione heard a light cough from Susan down the aisle. She turned, to see Susan whispering something to Morrison.

"Auror Shippe," Morrison said, "Would you allow a little time before you do what you have come to do?"

"Yes, your Honor," Shippe said.

Hermione looked from Morrison to Shippe. For a fleeting moment, Hermione thought Shippe had looked at her while he was turning to leave.

"Hermione," Susan said.

Hermione looked up at Susan.

"Can I speak to you for a moment?" Susan asked.

"Er... sure," Hermione said.

"Come with me," Susan said.

Hermione stood up and followed Susan toward the courtroom floor.

"I'm not sure if you heard," Susan said, "It only just happened earlier today. I was only told about it from Morrison. Minister Shacklebolt is putting together a new department today. It is called the Public Security Department. Basically, it stops the Daily Prophet from giving news to the public that could start a panic. I assume you know about this apparent threat to the wizarding world, correct?"

Hermione nodded.

"Yes, well," Susan said, "Unfortunately, this includes all news that comes in from the Wizengamot's court cases. I volunteered to be the one to tell this to you, and I want to apologize early for doing so. Because of this new order, the job of Court Respondent has been terminated."

"You mean I'm... sacked?" Hermione asked.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," Susan said. "I tried to do everything. I asked Morrison if he could do anything. He said he would try his best, and would contact you as soon as possible."

Hermione couldn't believe it. She had lost her job because of Kingsley Shacklebolt?

"Are you okay?" Susan asked.

"I'll be fine," Hermione lied.

She wasn't fine at all. She was just beginning to really love this job. She could see herself as a huge part of the Wizengamot in the future. Now... she wasn't so sure about that.

"Auror Shippe has been asked to escort you out of the Ministry," Susan said.

Hermione nodded. Without another word, she walked out of the courtroom where Shippe was standing.

"Miss Granger," Shippe said, "I am to escort you to the Atrium."

"I know," Hermione said.

Honestly, she felt like a prisoner.

"Follow me," Shippe said.

She followed Shippe toward the lifts, and they walked into one. The gate closed with a loud bang, and it started to rise through the floors.

"You're Ron Weasley's girlfriend, aren't you?" Shippe asked.

"Fiancee, actually," Hermione said, "Why?"

"He's quite the wizard," Shippe said. "Though he does get his nose in things a little too much."

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked.

"I know you and him have bought a house together," Shippe said. "Those monthly payments have to be a pain to keep up with. It'll be worse, now that you are out of a job. I'd hate to see you lose your house cause Ron loses his job too."

Hermione stared at Shippe.

"You tell Mr. Weasley to keep his nose out of my business," Shippe said, "And he might have the makings of a fine Auror one day."

Shippe's stare was like daggers. Hermione didn't know what to say. Finally, the lifts reached the Atrium.

"Follow me," Shippe said to Hermione.

Hermione followed him toward the security desk, where she checked out her wand, and gave the security guard her Ministry badge. Shippe then escorted her to the Apparation-safe area.

"You have a good day, Miss Granger," Shippe said, "And say hi to Ron for me, okay?"

Hermione nodded silently. She then apparated out of the Ministry and arrived at the house. Ron was waiting for her on the couch.

"Hey, Hermione," Ron said, "You're home early. Something wrong?"

Hermione exhaled and inhaled. She tried to keep the tears out of her eyes.

"No," Hermione said, "I have some bad news."

======================================  
**End of chapter! So much has taken place in this chapter! Wow, it's crazy! **

**Hope you loved the first part with Ron and Hermione as much as I did. And yes, if you are not aware, they had their "special moment" together the night before for the first time!**

**Feedback would be great!**


	30. Conspiracy Theories

**Chapter 30  
****Conspiracy Theories**

**(Ron's PoV)**

Ever since Billingsley informed Ron and Harry of the new Public Security Department, the only person Ron could think about was Hermione.

The job of Court Respondent had a huge target on its head now. As long as there was a threat to the wizarding world, there was no way the Ministry would allow anything from the Wizengamot's cases to get out into the public.

When Hermione arrived with a CRACK, Ron was sitting on the couch in the living room, just waiting for the inevitable.

"Hey, Hermione," Ron said, "You're home early. Something wrong?"

Ron could already tell something was wrong. He could almost see the tears already coming from Hermione's eyes. Right then, at that moment, he silently swore to himself he would try to do his best not to make Hermione cry again. He hated seeing her cry when she was unhappy. It tore his heart in two.

"No," Hermione said, "I have some bad news."

"Come sit," Ron said, patting the cushion beside him, "You can tell me all about it."

Hermione nodded and walked over to the couch.

Though Ron already knew what Hermione was going to say, he also knew it would be best if he let her talk about it. It might do more good than bad.

"So, what happened?" Ron asked.

"Have you heard anything about this new department Kingsley created?" Hermione replied.

Ron shrugged. He wasn't exactly sure what to say.

"Well," Hermione said, "Kingsley created what is referred to as the Public Security Department. From what I can figure out, he is trying to keep the public safe by not letting them know what is really happening in the wizarding world. I guess the whole 'security' part of the department's name is to protect the wizarding world from itself if we start a riot because of the news of a new threat."

"Well, it makes sense," Ron said, then cowered under Hermione's glare, "Just a little."

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"If you didn't know about this threat, Hermione," Ron said, "And you found out there was one, less than two years after Voldemort's defeat, how would you react?"

Hermione began to reply, then stopped, and sighed.

"I guess I can see what you're getting at," she said.

"Is that all you wanted to tell me?" Ron asked, "About this new department?"

"I wish," Hermione said.

Ron frowned. He almost wanted to say that he knew what she was going to tell him, just so she wouldn't have to go through it again.

"Because of the new Public Security Department," Hermione continued; Ron noticed that she said the department's name with much disgust, "the Daily Prophet is being watched. It can't print out anything that has to do with the new threat. I would also assume that Kingsley is going to make them print out good things: more arrests, convictions, things like that."

"That's a load of tripe," Ron said. "Doesn't that interfere with the Daily Prophet's freedom of press?"

"You'd think so, right?" Hermione asked. "But I guess Kingsley has looked over that little tidbit. Anyway, because of the barriers that the Daily Prophet is being put up against, this not only affects them, but many others."

Hermione paused, and Ron put his hand on hers. Hermione smiled briefly.

"Ron," Hermione said, "I was fired today. My job as Court Respondent is gone because of the new Public Security Department."

"Can't you do anything?" Ron asked, "Can't the Head Judge -"

"He said he would try to do something about this," Hermione said, nodding.

"Well, that is good!" Ron said, "He has some power in the Ministry, right?"

"Not enough," Hermione said, shaking her head, "Ron, I really loved being a part of the Wizengamot. I... you remember how I used to say I didn't want to have anything to do with the Ministry, especially the Wizengamot, because I thought it was corrupt?"

Ron chuckled.

"I think you told that to Rufus Scrimgeour himself," he said.

Hermione smiled briefly, once again.

"I was wrong, though," she said. "The Wizengamot is wonderful. I've never seen a more honest group of law-keepers. The Muggle history is filled with corrupt law-men, and I thought that would pass over into the wizarding world too. But, the Wizengamot is much different. And I was really beginning to think I would be a part of it."

"You still can be, Hermione," Ron said.

"I'm not so sure, anymore," Hermione said, "Ron, what are we going to do? This house... I thought that with us both having jobs, we could live in this house for quite a while, at least until we needed something bigger. But now..."

"Hermione, you don't have to worry about that," Ron said, squeezing Hermione's hand, "What... what brought this up?"

Hermione paused, and Ron could see worry in her eyes. No, not worry. Fear. She looked scared.

"Hermione?" Ron asked.

"I ran into your trainer today," Hermione said, quietly.

Ron's mouth went agape. He didn't expect this.

"What?" Ron asked, "Shippe?"

Hermione nodded slowly.

"What did he have to say?" Ron asked.

"He... said," Hermione said slowly, "He said that you should keep your nose out of his business. He said that if you didn't, you would lose your job too."

Ron swore under his breath. Shippe had no right saying these things to Hermione.

"Ron?" Hermione asked, "What was Shippe talking about?"

Ron didn't respond straight away, and was also not sure if he wanted to answer her question. He knew this could only worry Hermione more. But now it seemed Shippe had put Hermione in the middle of it.

"When I returned from Azkaban yesterday," Ron said, "I overheard Shippe talking to somebody, a fellow trainee. I don't know who it was, but he sounded afraid. At first, I thought the trainee had done something and Shippe was punishing him. Now, it seems Shippe was doing something, and the trainee saw him. The only question is... what exactly was he doing?"

"Must be something bad," Hermione said, "Otherwise, why would he want you to stay out of his business."

"I've always trusted Shippe," Ron said, "He seems like a great bloke. Seems crazy that he would be involved in this new threat."

"You should have heard him, Ron," Hermione said, quietly and fearfully, "His tone-of-voice, when he was talking to me, was just..."

Hermione visibly shuddered. Ron's eyes narrowed and he clenched his fists.

"I'm going to have a word with him," Ron said, "Tomorrow."

"Ron, no!" Hermione cried.

"No one talks to you like that, Hermione," Ron said, "Nobody!"

"Ron, please," Hermione said, almost begging. "You'll get kicked out of the Aurors before you even become one! Please, for me, for us, don't do this. If you lose your job, we lose our house!"

Ron stared at Hermione. Once again, she was right. It looks like Shippe had them trapped. He could turn Shippe in for suspicion of treason, but at the possibility that he could be kicked out of the Aurors, and, as Hermione said, lose his house, their house? He couldn't risk that.

"Okay," Ron said, "I'll leave it alone... for now."

"Thank you, Ron," Hermione said, "That is all I ask of you."

"I'm sorry you got fired," Ron said.

"It's okay," Hermione said, though she still looked on the verge of tears, "I'll find something else to do. I'm sure George would hire me, if nothing else works out."

"I'd kick his bloody arse if he didn't hire you," Ron said.

Hermione chuckled, which made Ron join in too.

"You've been through a lot today," Ron said, "So how about I make you some lunch. It'll calm your nerves."

"That sounds good," Hermione said, "But hold on one moment, will you?"

"For what?" Ron asked.

"For this," Hermione said.

She leaned in toward Ron and kissed him passionately, deeply on the lips.

"You really know how to work up a bloke's appetite," Ron said.

"Thank you for being here for me today," Hermione said.

"Where else would I be?" Ron said, smiling.

Hermione smiled back. Ron stood up and walked into the kitchen.  
===========================

**(Hermione's PoV)**

Hermione was expecting a letter from Head Judge Morrison before too long, but by early the next morning, the only owl that had come along was delivering the Daily Prophet. Ron was still asleep, so Hermione decided to fix breakfast and read the Daily Prophet while the french toast was being made by magic.

There was nothing in the Daily Prophet about the sacking of Court Respondents, nor anything else about people losing their jobs To Hermione's amazement, there was also no announcement of the new Public Security Department or advertisements hiring for a new job in the Ministry. Had Kingsley already planned who would be a part of that department?

Hermione read through the pages of the Daily Prophet and came up one article where she found that her theory about what the Daily Prophet was doing was absolutely correct. The article read:

**Two Azkaban Guards Charged  
****As Former Death Eaters**

**It has been widely rumored that there are still  
****Dark wizards walking free in the wizarding  
****world, and this rumor has been confirmed as  
****true. Yesterday, two men were charged with  
****treason and followers of Lord Voldemort.**

**Randall Deakins, 45, of Sheffield, and Percival**  
**Prentiss, 49, of Bradford were brought into the  
****Wizengamot yesterday morning. It was  
****discovered after the end of the First War and  
****the first fall of Lord Voldemort that Deakins  
****and Prentiss enlisted in Auror training. Before  
****the first fall of the Dark Lord, they were two  
****of the young members of the group known as  
****Death Eaters. It was revealed that, when the  
****Dark Lord returned just a few years ago,  
****Deakins and Prentiss excused themselves  
****from the Aurors temporarily with the story  
****that they had to protect their families.  
****In truth, they were rejoining amongst the  
****ranks of the Dark Lord's "most trusted  
****followers", as was stated by Prentiss during  
****the trial yesterday. After the defeat of Lord  
****Voldemort, they reinstated themselves as  
****Aurors, and were enlisted as guards at  
****Azkaban Prison.**

**It is believed that the two former Death Eaters  
****were planning on releasing prisoners from  
****Azkaban, and recruiting them for the next  
****possible threat to the wizarding world. We are  
****happy to say that this plan has been averted  
****with the new convictions.**

**Have no fear, readers. The wizarding world  
****remains safe, thanks to, in part, of the Minister  
****of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and the Wizengamot.**

Hermione shook her head, disgusted. It was almost as if the hearing she had been a part of yesterday had never taken place at all! The simple hearing had now been made out to look like it had been an actual trial of the two Azkaban guards. Even though she was pleased that the two guards were going to be convicted of crimes, it was horrible to think they had been convicted on lies.

"M-m-morning, Hermione," Ron's sleepy voice called out, as he walked into the kitchen.

Hermione looked up briefly and smiled.

"Breakfast smells good," Ron said, "What is it? Oh, french toast! Wicked."

Hermione nodded, her eyes still on the Daily Prophet.

"Anything interesting in there?" Ron asked, nodding to the newspaper.

Hermione slid the paper across the table, almost ripping it in the process. While Ron read the article, Hermione served the french toast.

"Those two evil blokes were Death Eaters?" Ron asked, his eyes still on the article.

"I doubt it," Hermione scoffed.

"It says here," Ron said, pointing to the article, "In their trial they said they were two of Voldemort's most trusted followers."

"Ron, that article is rubbish," Hermione said, deliberately setting the plate of toast on the Daily Prophet, "You notice how it said there was a trial yesterday morning?"

"Sure," Ron said, shrugging, "So what?"

"I was there yesterday morning," Hermione said, "There was no trial. It was a simple hearing setting up the trial for a later date. Prentiss and Deakins didn't say a word during the whole thing."

"So the Daily Prophet lied?" Ron asked.

"Yes, and I don't think it was their own doing either," Hermione said, "There were no mentions of the sackings or hiring of Ministry workers. You'd think that, since there is a creation of a new department, there would be advertisements seeking workers, right?"

"I guess," Ron shrugged again.

"There's nothing," Hermione said. "I'm sure Kingsley already had hired the Public Security Department members before he even put the department together."

"I could see why he would do that," Ron said. "If he wanted the department to get to work right on spot, he would have hired the members of it beforehand. It's a smart move."

"Well, it seems they are doing their job then," Hermione scoffed, "Hiding the truth from the wizarding world. There was no mention at all of Ralph Fetcher anywhere in there. Well, there is good news in all of this."

"What's that?" Ron asked, taking a bite of his french toast.

"They can't hide the fact that you, Harry and Billingsley caught Deakins and Prentiss, can they?" Hermione asked.

"We might even get medals out of it!" Ron said, chuckling.

"They never mentioned you in the article, though," Hermione said. "That's a little strange. There was nothing about who caught Deakins and Prentiss."

"I might find more about that while at work," Ron said. "Speaking of that, have you gotten an owl from Morrison yet?"

"No," Hermione said, looking over her shoulder towards the window.

"Cheer up," Ron said, "I'm sure one will come."

It turned out that Ron was right. A short time after Ron had left for the Ministry, an owl appeared outside the living room window. Hermione hurried to the window, opened it and let the owl in. She untied the roll of parchment from the owl and unrolled it, then began to read:

_Hermione,_

_First, I want to say how deeply sorry I am for everything that happened to you yesterday. You are one of the brightest witches I have ever met and, if you pardon my words, you have a hell of a future ahead of you. You deserved to have a great job in the Wizengamot, more than anyone I've ever met. When I heard you were being fired, and for the most ridiculous reasons, I tried to fight against it. I asked the Ministry to give you another job in the Wizengamot, and they didn't say anything to me._

_You saved my job as Head Judge (and kept me out of Azkaban), and I am going to do everything I can to repay you. I would have written this letter quicker, but I've been doing some investigating, and a little birdie told me that you may be interested in another career here at the Ministry. They were aware that you have a thing for House Elf rights. Well, I can't help you get started on Elf Rights, but I can help you go in the right direction. So, I am happy to say that, if you are willing, you have a job interview with_

_The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures next Monday at nine-o-clock in the morning. I'm sure you'll get the job if you want it. I gave them my own recommendation, and I think that is enough, if I say so myself._

_It is my biggest wish that you find yourself back on the Wizengamot somehow, because I want to work with you again. But if fate doesn't happen like that, I wish you luck with the rest of life._

___Your friend,_

___Herb Morrison_

___Head Judge – Wizengamot_

By the time Hermione had finished the letter, tears were streaming down her face. She had always liked Herb Morrison because he was a brilliant Head Judge. But she had never believed that he would be as generous or as kind as he was in the letter to her.

Morrison was right. The department he had suggested was absolutely perfect for her, and even though she hadn't thought about it in a while, she did still want to help the House Elves with their personal rights. It was funny when she thought about it, but getting fired from the Wizengamot was actually a step in the right direction.

**(Ron's PoV)**

Ever since Ron had the discussion with Hermione about his trainer, Shippe, he had done a lot of thinking. He had promised Hermione he wouldn't confront Shippe, no matter how much he wanted to. Shippe had crossed a line he never should have been near in the first place.

Now, it was after noon, and Ron had considered himself lucky that he had not had any outbursts toward Shippe. Unfortunately, it seemed Harry had noticed. Ron kept noticing that Harry was looking at him strangely the past few hours, and it didn't surprise him when Harry brought it up.

"So, Ron," Harry said. "I can't help but notice that you are acting rather odd today. Is something wrong?"

They were now having lunch in the Leaky Cauldron. There weren't very many people there at the moment, and that was the only reason he decided to tell Harry what had been going on with Shippe. He just hoped nobody was eavesdropping on them. He checked, cautiously, around the room, for any one using an Extendable Ear, or anything of the sort,

"Do you remember our discussion about Shippe yesterday?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, sure," Harry said.

"I want you to forget everything I told you," Ron said.

"Why?" Harry asked.

Ron looked down at his hands for a moment. He trusted Harry enough to talk about this with him, but what if Harry over-reacted?

"Well," Ron said, "I guess I should start at the beginning. Hermione got fired yesterday, like we predicted, thanks to the new department."

"Damn," Harry said.

"Yeah," Ron said, "After she was fired, she was escorted out of the Ministry by Shippe himself."

"What?" Harry asked, surprised.

"Yeah, that was basically my response when she told me," Ron said. "He told her to tell me that I should stay out his business."

"He knew you overheard him," Harry said.

"Yeah," Ron said.

"We can't let him threaten you and Hermione like this, mate," Harry said.

"Harry, you don't understand," Ron said, "If we do something and Shippe finds out, I could be kicked out of Auror training. And so could you. I have too much on my hands to go through the guilt of you getting kicked out. If I get kicked out, and Hermione doesn't find a new job, we're in trouble with our house."

"Well, we can't let Shippe get away with this," Harry said.

"Harry, we don't even know what exactly he is doing," Ron said.

"If he threatened you and Hermione," Harry said, "It must be something pretty bad. I just wish I knew what."

"Let things take their course," Ron said, "If something gets out of hand, then we will cut in. I don't need something happening that gets us fired, because it won't solve the problem, and it will make things worse for us."

Harry nodded.

"Okay," he said, "You're right."

"Thanks, mate," Ron said.

The two friends ate their lunch in silence. But through out the rest of the day, Ron hoped that he knew what he was doing. What if Shippe was planning something really bad? What if he was a part of this new threat? Could Ron just sit by in fear of losing his job? At this point, Ron wasn't exactly sure if he could.

=====================  
**Chapter finished! I apologize if it seems a lot of things were repeated in this chapter. This was almost a filler chapter in a way, but I like the way it went.**

**Hope you did too! Feedback would be great!**


	31. Meeting At Mayhem Street

**Chapter 31  
****Meeting at Mayhem Street**

**Author's Note: Sorry for the delay! The arrival of the Deathly Hallows Part 2 trailer, and the current events, has interrupted my fanfiction writing!**

The rest of week was not as eventful as the first half.

Now that Hermione didn't have to worry about looking for another job, she was free to do anything she wanted to until the interview on Monday. So she spent Thursday and Friday thinking of wedding date for her and Ron's wedding still hadn't been thought of yet, but the subject was on her mind.

She had always dreamed of having a wedding in the spring, amidst the newly grown flowers and nice weather. These were a sure thing at the Burrow, which would be the location of the wedding. A Summer date would also be a nice idea. The hot weather, that was always a sure thing in those months at the Burrow, would hardly be any bother. George's magical marquee would fix that right up. Whichever season she and Ron picked for their wedding, it still seemed like it was too close, and yet also too far away. Hermione had barely begun planning for the wedding, and to her it felt like she was studying for her O. all over again.

Ron was trying to keep from avoiding Shippe's eyes and was having a hard time doing it. There were times when Ron thought that Shippe was using Legillimency on him. At those times, he tried his best to concentrate on whatever training he was doing at the time. He was also worried that Harry would break his promise and investigate Shippe further. Ron had also noticed ever since the day he had heard Shippe and the trainee talking, there had been no sign of the trainee at all. In fact, nobody seemed to bother asking where their fellow trainee had gone.

Ginny and the rest of the Harpies were practicing as hard as ever for their upcoming match against the Puddlemere United team, which was scheduled for the Saturday after next. Puddlemere United was one of the best teams in the league. Gryffindor's former Keeper, Oliver Wood, would be playing in the game, and Ginny knew a little about him from watching him back in her first year (though back then she was mainly keeping an eye on Harry), and was helping her fellow Chasers focus on Oliver Wood's techniques as a Keeper.

**(Draco's PoV)**

The first week of September had been quite rough for Draco Malfoy. Ever since his meeting with Daphne Greengrass, he hadn't been able to get much sleep. He had been thinking of what she had said. She trusted him enough to give him the address to a secret location Daphne was meeting at with her companions. But why did she trust him? Obviously, the Secret Keeper charm had been placed on the piece of paper, and had transferred itself into Draco when he read the address, so even if he wanted to tell the authorities, or anyone else for that matter, he couldn't. Had Daphne planned this all along?

Draco had come to two choices: Either ignore Daphne's request, and hope whatever they were planning would soon be stopped before they did too much damage, or accept Daphne's request and try to do his best to stop their plans without being caught.

When Draco thought of choosing the second, his mind went back to the Auror, Dawlish. Dawlish had went undercover inside the Death Eaters, to find out what they were planning, and was killed because of it. Was there a chance the same could happen to Draco? If Draco ignored Daphne's request, would Daphne and her friends come after him to make sure he didn't say anything about their plans?

He realized he was trapped. Daphne knew what she was doing when confronted him. He would have no choice either way. The thought of that was tearing him up from the inside.

What was worse, was Astoria and his parents had noticed. Astoria may have been far away from him, at Hogwarts, but she must have realized something was wrong when Draco didn't write to her a couple days after she left for Hogwarts. Astoria had demanded to know why Draco hadn't written her a letter, like he had promised. He tried to make up the best excuse he could when he wrote back to her:

_Astoria,_

_Sorry I haven't written back to you. Without you here, it has become dreadfully boring, and I am trying to find something to do to pass the time. I may look for a job in Knockturn Alley or something. I'm sure Borgin and Burke's would hire me._

_Don't worry about me, darling. Focus on your schoolwork. You have your exams at the end of the year. You don't want to fail them, do you? I'll see you on Halloween._

_Love,  
Draco. _

Of course he had no intention of applying for a job at Borgin and Burke's, but he needed an excuse. It looked as if he was going to have to go to Daphne's meeting and see what was going on. If he was going to take part in anything Daphne was planning, he had to make sure Astoria didn't know what was going on.

Unfortunately for Draco, Astoria wasn't the biggest problem he had to worry about. Astoria's only hint to something being wrong was the fact that Draco hadn't written a letter to her. Draco's parents, on the other hand, were around Draco most of the time, and they had already realized something was wrong...

_Flashback:_

_It was already Thursday evening. There were only two nights before Daphne's secret meeting, and Draco hadn't come to a decision if he would attend or not._

_Draco had been in his room for the past couple of days, staring out his bedroom window or the ceiling over his bed. He had silently cursed Daphne Greengrass many times for doing this to him. She had used his affection for her sister against him. All Daphne would have to do was make up some lies to Astoria, about Draco, and juist like that their relationship would be over. Daphne had Draco on the end of a very short leash._

_Draco crept out of his bedroom and downstairs to find something to eat. As he walked past the living room, he heard his parents talking... about him. They were sitting in a couple of luxurious armchairs. A brilliant firelight made their shadows creep away from them for many feet. _

_"Cissa, darling," Lucius said, "Have you seen Draco anywhere?"_

_"Holed up in his room again, I expect," Narcissa said._

_"Very odd behavior, don't you think?" Lucius asked._

_"I guess," Narcissa said._

_"I think something is bothering him," Lucius said._

_Draco froze. Had his father realized what he was planning?_

_"Like what?" Narcissa asked._

_Draco stared at the back of the armchair his father was sitting in._

_"I don't know," Lucius said. "I just hope he isn't getting in any trouble. Do you think it is an after-effect of being imprisoned by the Death Eaters for many months?"_

_"He's had plenty of time to get over that, Lucius," Narcissa said. "Besides, he hasn't had to go through the troubles we've gone through. He hasn't had to deal with that—what did you say it was called?"_

_"Agorophobia," Lucius said._

_"Yes," Narcissa said._

_"I wouldn't be surprised it had overcome him once again," Lucius said, "He spent so much time Astoria Greengrass, and I think she healed him."_

_Draco smiled. His father understood a lot more about his relationship with Astoria than his mother did._

_"Now that she is back at Hogwarts," Lucius said, "Draco can't see her everyday."_

_"I'm sure they exchange letters," Narcissa said. "I've seen that owl come in and out from his room many times."_

_"I wonder if he is trying to find someone else to spend time with," Lucius said._

_"Well, he must have other friends, wouldn't you say?" Narcissa said._

_"I'm not sure," Lucius said. "You know who his old friends were, Cissa. They are all the sons and daughters of Death Eaters. I'm sure they are the last people Draco wants to hang about with."_

_"I'm sure he'll find some way to pass the time," Narcissa said._

_"Do you think we should help him?" Lucius asked._

_"He's old enough to know what he wants," Narcissa said, "I'm sure he can find out by himself."_

_Silence empowered the room once again, and Draco walked away._

_End of Flashback_

Now, it was Saturday, the day of Daphne's meeting, and Draco knew his decision would come down to the last minute. Could he risk staying away and hope Daphne and her friends leave him out of this? Or did he have to go and just hope it wasn't as bad as he thought? He was debating this over breakfast, when his father walked into the kitchen. Draco and his father stared at each other for a moment, then his father turned to prepare something for breakfast.

Ever since he had overheard his parents' discussion about him, they hadn't brought it up anymore. But Draco was sure they'd find a way to talk to him about it, and therefore wasn't surprised when his father spoke up.

"Are you doing anything today?" Lucius asked.

"I... I might," Draco said, slowly, "Why?"

"You don't get out of the house much, Draco," Lucius said, "It is unhealthy."

"You'd know all about that, huh?" Draco asked.

He immediately flinched, fearing his father would retort. Surprisingly enough, his father only sighed.

"Yes, Draco," Lucius said, "I do know all about it. That is why I don't want it to happen to you. You haven't done very much since Astoria left for Hogwarts."

"Well, you don't need to worry about me," Draco said, "I-I-I'm going out later tonight."

Draco's throat tightened. It seemed as if these words had finally cemented it. He was going to do what he had been fearing for the past few days. He was going to Daphne's meeting.

"Oh?" Lucius asked.

Before now, Lucius hadn't looked at his son since he turned to fix something to eat. But now, he looked at Draco, interested.

"Anything worth mentioning?" he asked.

"Nothing, really," Draco said, shrugging. "Might see what some old friends are doing."

Lucius stared at Draco, and Draco wished he hadn't said anything. He knew what his father thought when he said "old friends". He remembered what his father had said...

"_You know who his old friends were, Cissa. They are all the sons and daughters of Death Eaters. I'm sure they are the last people Draco wants to hang about with."_

"Then again, I might just take a walk in London," Draco said. "See the sights, take in some fresh air. I haven't decided on what I am going to do."

Oh, how he wished that was true.

"Well," Lucius said, "I hope you have a nice time."

"I will," Draco said, if only to make his father happy.

That night, Draco apparated to his destination. He arrived at the end of a long, dark and shadowy street. The houses looked exactly the same as the next one, which Draco found was rather boring.

The sign on the street corner near him read "Mayhew St.", though a second glance at it, and Draco noticed that the "w" had been had been painted over with an "m", so that the sign now read Mayhem Street. Draco laughed silently, trying to ignore the shudders crawling up his spine. Mayhem. That would sound like the type of place he'd end up in.

He began his trek down the street, searching for the address from the piece of paper. He soon realized that, although the houses looked the same at first, there were some distinct differences. In one house, a window had been knocked out and boarded over. On another house, Draco could just make out a sign on the door that read "Quarantine". At another house, a sign on a gate going into the backyard read "Beware of Dog." An additional sign below it read "We Mean It."

As Draco looked through the numbers on the houses, he found an odd mistake. At one section of the neighborhood, the numbers were 246, 248, and 250. On the other were 245, 247 and 251. When Draco realized what number was missing, he remembered it was the address: 249 Mayhew St. He looked back up at the houses, and to his surprise, a new one had appeared! Draco paused, then snickered in disbelief. How could be be so shocked? This was obviously the magic of the Secret Keeper Charm at play.

Draco stared at the house for a moment, but not to gaze at its design. Now that he had arrived, he was wondering if he should turn back. His brain was telling him to leave, but his feet weren't moving away from the house. They were actually moving toward it. Soon, Draco found himself outside the front door.

"I know I am going to regret this," Draco said, as he knocked on the door.

A moment later, the door opened and Daphne was standing in front of him.

"Draco, darling!" Daphne said, "You made it! Come in!"

"Would you stop it with the 'darling' rubbish?" Draco asked.

Daphne smiled and turned around. Draco followed her into the house.

"So who is all here?" Draco asked.

"You'll see," Daphne said, in almost a sing-song like voice.

Daphne's cheery attitude sent chills down Draco's spine. He wondered if the whole Greengrass family was this cheery, then realized that Daphne was probably just playing with him. Astoria's happy attitude was welcoming to Draco. Daphne's attitude was borderline insane.

Daphne led Draco down the narrow hallway and into a large livingroom. Draco didn't have time to take a look at the room. He was too busy staring at the other guests. There had to be at least two dozen people crowded into the combined livingroom and dining room. He didn't recognize most of the guests, except for those seated around the dining room table. Draco shook his head. He should have known.

The guests seated around the table were Pansy Parkinson, Gregory Goyle, Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, and two others that Draco thought he had recognized from Hogwarts. In fact, they looked like they were around Astoria's age, and Draco wondered why they weren't at Hogwarts. He took a short glance at each of them. Most of them looked shocked at the fact that he was there. Pansy Parkinson, however, seemed to be quite pleased. She hadn't taken her eyes off of him since he had walked in.

"Draco!" Goyle grunted.

"Well, Daphne, it seems you have done the impossible," Blaise said, "I thought this one was gone for good."

"All it took was a little motivation," Daphne said, looking over her shoulder at Draco, "Isn't that right, darling?"

Draco scowled at Daphne's repeated use of the word "darling", and to his surprise he wasn't the only one. Pansy didn't seem too happy with Daphne's pet name either.

"Go on, Draco," Daphne said, "Take a seat. We are going to begin pretty soon, but I thought we'd let you catch up first. I promised I'd tell you more, didn't I?"

Draco didn't respond. Instead he took a seat between Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott.

"I assume you are wondering who all of these people are?" Daphne asked, nodding to the crowd in the living room.

Draco looked at them. A couple of them seemed to be staring at him, but most were going about their own business.

"Let me guess," he said, "those who are angry the Death Eaters and Voldemort are gone?"

"Yes, and no," Daphne said, "It actually goes deeper than that with many of them. Over half of our guests tonight are either the children or relatives of dead or imprisoned Death Eaters."

"Guess I missed them at the family reunion," Draco said, sarcastically.

Daphne was about to say something, but Blaise raised a finger.

"Go on, Blaise," Daphne said.

"I am sorry for interrupting, Daphne, but I am curious," Blaise said, then turned to Draco, "Why are you here, Draco?"

"Daphne invited me," Draco said.

"She gave you an invitation, sure," Blaise said, "But you didn't have to accept it."

"Your point?" Draco asked.

"I am just saying," Blaise said, "Most of us are here because we are relatives of the fallen Death Eaters, or we feel hatred for what was done to them. You, Draco, on the other hand. You're different. Your parents were pardoned from their crimes as Death Eaters. You have no reason for being here."

Draco smiled. If he was going to play his part in this, he was going to do it right.

"No reason, you say?" Draco asked.

Blaise nodded. Draco caught Daphne's eye, and noticed she looked quite curious to see what he was going to do.

"You're right, Blaise," he said, "I am quite different from the rest of you."

"You see?" Blaise asked, looking around the table, "He admits it. He shouldn't be here."

"Not so fast, Blaise," Draco said. "Do you know why I am different from the rest of you?"

Blaise looked at Draco. He shrugged.

Draco laid his left arm on the table. With a little difficulty, he slid the sleeve of his shirt up away from his arm. Blaise, Daphne and the rest of the people at the table gasped. There it was as dark as it had ever been... the Dark Mark, tattoed on his arm when Voldemort had given him the mission to kill Albus Dumbledore.

"Is that real?" Goyle grunted.

"Does it look fake to you?" Draco asked.

Goyle grunted again, but shrugged his big shoulders.

"Holy Merlin," Blaise said, "I thought it was just a rumor."

"Don't tell me I have no reason for being here, Blaise," Draco said, "I have more of a reason than anyone."

"You are full of surprises, Malfoy," Daphne said.

"That's Draco for you," Pansy said, a smile returning to her face as she stared at Draco.

"Any other inquiries as to why I am here tonight?" Draco asked, ignoring Pansy.

Silence empowered the table. Draco rolled down his sleeve.

"I didn't think so," he said, "Daphne, I believe you wanted to continue?"

"Thank you," Daphne said. "Draco, we are all gathered here tonight because we believe the Dark Lord Voldemort and his loyal Death Eaters were treated unfairly when they were murdered in cold blood at the Battle of Hogwarts, and the battle at what we like to refer to as Hero HQ. There were many times when the Ministry could have captured the Death Eaters for imprisonment instead of killing them, and leaving many of us here without our family members. I believe you know that Goyle lost his father at the battle of Hogwarts."

Draco looked at Goyle, who was staring at his hands on the table.

"He is not alone," Daphne said, "Many gathered here tonight lost family members during the battles as well."

Draco looked around at everyone gathered in the living room. Many looked emotional.

"We believe these deaths could have been prevented," Daphne said. "I don't think you were present in the Great Hall before the Battle of Hogwarts began, so I will let you in on a detail you may have missed out on. You do remember the Dark Lord's great speech that evening, do you not?"

Draco nodded. At times, the speech echoed in his ears, Voldemort's cold chill of a voice so loud it felt as if he was near.

"Voldemort had requested that Harry Potter give himself up," Daphne said.

"Twice," Goyle grunted.

"Thank you, Gregory," Daphne said, still looking at Draco. "Yes. Voldemort requested this twice. The first time he did so, it was before the battle had even started. Before lives were lost. Before our friends had been killed. I remember it clearly, as do many of us who were there to witness it that fateful night. After Voldemort's speech, our own Pansy, here, pointed Harry Potter out to everyone. At that moment, the battle could have been prevented. However, it did not. Everyone else guarded Harry Potter, letting the battle proceed. The Slytherins, however, were sent out of the castle, when all we wanted to do was stop the Battle of Hogwarts from even happening."

"Many Slytherins came back to the battle though," Draco said, "To help."

All around the table, Blaise, Goyle, Nott, and Pansy were shaking their heads.

"No, Draco," Daphne said, "We came back to make sure our families, and families of our friends, had not been affected, just like everyone else did. We lost friends that night as well. Oh yes, Harry Potter's followers lost many friends. But do they ever count our friends in that list? Your late friend, Crabbe..."

Across the table, large tears leaked from Goyle's eyes.

"Was Vincent Crabbe ever remembered?" Daphne asked Draco. "Did you ever see his name mentioned in the Daily Prophet?"

Draco thought back. Indeed, he had never seen Crabbe's name mentioned.

"No," Daphne answered for him, "It was not there. You'd think that Crabbe, a fallen student of Hogwarts, would be mentioned along with the other fifty-plus that had fallen. Did you see a single Death Eater's name, or Voldemort's name in the Obituaries after the Battle of Hogwarts? I saw quite a few names from the other side of the war in there. None for us. The only times I saw our friends ever mentioned were when they were brought down as murderers."

"Our friends and family were murdered too," Nott said.

"Did our fallen friends and family get the same funerals as the rest of them?" Daphne said, then shook her head, "No. The Dark Lord Voldemort was sent to the depths of the Hogwarts Lake. Not exactly a funeral fit for a king."

Nods of appreciation were heard all around the room.

"Statues and memorials have gone up everywhere," Daphne said, "Dedicated to Harry Potter and the heroes of the Battle of Hogwarts. The names of the fallen are seen there. But I haven't seen a single name from our side on that list. The Ministry calls Voldemort and the Death Eaters monsters. But they have never taken in account that we lost people too... to those monsters at the Ministry."

More nods of appreciation, along with murmurs of agreement.

"That is why we are here," Daphne said. "We are here to make sure our side gets recognized. We won't let our fallen friends and family be forgotten. That is what we are fighting for."

Daphne looked at Draco, and everyone in the room followed suit. They were waiting for him to respond. What was he going to say?

"Draco, you lost an aunt at the Battle of Hogwarts," Pansy said. "Bellatrix Lestrange was your family, wasn't she? Did you see her name anywhere besides the lists of those who attacked Hogwarts?"

"Pansy is right, Draco," Daphne said, "You are a part of this cause just as much as the rest of us. That is why I approached you at King's Cross last weekend. I hoped that you would support this. So... will you?"

Draco found it hard not to agree with them. Bellatrix Lestrange was indeed family, and she had not been remembered after the war, other than the fact that she was a part of Voldemort's Death Eaters.

"I'm in," Draco said.

-  
The meeting that night turned out to be a recruitment rally. Draco had been the last to join. Daphne then announced that their next meeting would take place the following Saturday. Most of the men and women at the meeting had left soon after, leaving only Draco and his former classmates alone at the house.

Draco excused himself temporarily to get some fresh air. So many thoughts were going through his head, he was surprised to find he could hold them all. What was he doing? He had originally come because he was curious about what was going on, and who was a part of it. Had Daphne really convinced him to join? If the answer was yes, what would his mother and father think of that? Would they support him if he told them his reason behind it was to avenge Bellatrix?

What would Astoria think of this? She'd probably overreact if she found out Draco was in the company of Pansy Parkinson. She wanted him to avoid Pansy. If he joined up with this group, that would be next to impossible.

Draco walked back into the house, and walked toward the kitchen to get himself a glass of water. As he was walking, he overheard voices. Daphne and her friends were talking.

"Still stand by what I said earlier, Daph," Blaise said, "I can't believe Draco is here tonight."

"I was pretty surprised myself," Daphne said. "I wasn't sure we were going to be able to convince him. Then Pansy clinched it for us, I think."

"Me?" Pansy asked, "What did I do?"

"You mentioned Draco's aunt, Bellatrix," Daphne said, "You reminded him that he lost someone too at the Battle of Hogwarts, just like the rest of us."

"Oh," Pansy said. "Yes, I guess I did."

"I think you can do a lot more than that, too," Daphne said.

"What do you mean?" Pansy asked.

"Do you remember our discussion earlier tonight?" Daphne asked.

"Oh... oh yeah," Pansy said.

"What are you two going on about?" Nott asked.

"Just a little something to seal the deal," Daphne said.

Draco heard a chair slide back, and then footsteps. Draco hurried down toward the kitchen, and found a glass. He quickly filled it up with water. Suddenly, he footsteps behind him, and turned around. Pansy was standing there.

"Oh, hello," Pansy said, "I didn't know anyone else was here. I was just going to get me a drink."

Pansy looked down at the glass in Draco's hand.

"Water," Draco said.

"I was thinking of something a little stronger," Pansy said.

She walked over to the refrigerator and opened it up, then took out two bottles. Draco instantly recognized them as firewhiskey. Pansy smiled and walked over to Draco. She offered one to him. Draco looked at the bottle, then her for a moment.

"Oh, come on, Draco," Pansy said, "I didn't poison it."

Draco sighed, then poured out the glass of water. Pansy smiled, popped the cap off both bottles and handed one to Draco. Draco took it. Pansy took a gulp of hers, and Draco resigned and took a sip of his. It burned in his throat.

"I'm glad you decided to come tonight," Pansy said.

"I'm sure you are," Draco said.

"Come now, Draco," Pansy said, "Do you have to be like that?"

"Do you think I don't know what you are playing at?" Draco asked. "Pansy, I am over you. I'm with Astoria now, and I-I love her."

"Wow," Pansy said, "She must be quite the girl."

"I thought you knew her," Draco said, "She is Daphne's sister, you know."

"Draco," Pansy said, "you have it all wrong. I'm not trying to get back with you."

"Right," Draco scoffed, "That is not what Daphne said. She told me and Astoria that you talk about me all the time. How you really miss me.. Face it, Pansy, you're not over me. Too bad for you, since I am over you."

"You've said that twice now, Draco," Pansy said, "Kind of tells me you really don't believe it."

"That's the firewhiskey talking," Draco said.

"What do you see in Astoria," Pansy said, "That you never saw with me?"

"A future," Draco said.

Pansy's jaw dropped. Draco smirked and set down the bottle of firewhiskey.

"See you next week," he said.

He walked out of the house, then apparated back to Malfoy Manor.

-  
**Oh, how I loved this chapter! The meeting was so much better than I hoped for, and I loved the last discussion with Pansy.**

**Probably won't get back to Draco for a few chapters. His story has definitely branched out, though.**

**Hope you loved the chapter! Reviews would be brilliant!**


	32. Out With The Old

**Chapter 32  
****Out With The Old...**

**Author's Note: Sorry for another day. I've had a few things going on, personally, and also a little writer's block kept me from writing up a new chapter. Not to mention just as I was halfway done with this chapter, the final DH2 trailer came out, and there went my mind again. It was blown. I'll say that right now. Stopped me on concentrating on anything else for a while.**

**(This chapter will be in Ron's PoV)**

Ron and Hermione slept in on Sunday morning, and when the doorbell rang, Ron thought it was in his dreams until Hermione nudged him.

"Hmm?" Ron said, sleepily, his eyes still closed.

"I think someone is at the front door, Ron," Hermione said, "Could you check?"

"What is someone doing here this early?" Ron grumbled.

"It's not that early," Hermione said, "It is a little after nine."

"Oh, I guess I slept in," Ron said.

"We both slept in," Hermione said, smiling, "Can you go check the door please?"

"I'm going, I'm going," Ron said, sitting up.

He put his trainers on, then walked out of his bedroom. He walked over to the front door and opened it. Harry was standing there.

"Harry?" Ron asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Were you asleep?" Harry asked. "I didn't know. I'm sorry."

"I guess I am awake now," Ron said, "What's going on?"

"Can we come in?" Harry asked.

"We?" Ron asked, looking around.

He leaned out of the doorway and saw Billingsley standing there.

"Oh," Ron said. "Yeah, come on in."

Harry and Billingsley walked into the house and Ron shut the door.

"Ron?" Hermione called, walking out of the bedroom, "Who was it... oh! Hello."

"Hi, Hermione," Harry said, "Sorry, I didn't realize you and Ron were still asleep."

"It's okay," Hermione said.

"Hermione, this is our fellow trainee," Ron said.

"Call me Billingsley," Billingsley said, "Everyone else does."

"Nice to er... officially meet you," Hermione said. "Ron's told me a little bit about you."

"So what is going on?" Ron asked.

"I'm going to assume that, since you just woke up," Harry said, "you haven't read the Daily Prophet yet."

"Nope," Ron said.

"As of a couple hours ago," Harry said, "Shippe was arrested for suspicion of treason. I didn't know about this until Billingsley came over to my place. I hadn't received the Daily Prophet before then, but the story is in there."

"What?" Ron asked, shocked. "Harry, you didn't say anything to the Ministry, did you? About what I heard. I told you not to."

"I told the Ministry nothing," Harry said.

"Did you?" Ron asked Billingsley.

Billingsley didn't answer right away.

"Billingsley?" Ron asked, "Did you tell them?"

"I need to tell you two something," Billingsley said, "And I hope you will understand why I didn't tell you before."

Both Ron and Harry stared at Billingsley. What exactly was he up to?

"I am not an Auror-In-Training," Billingsley said. "I was doing an undercover job there for Kingsley, looking for any untrustworthy individuals. I was paired up with Sam Thorpe to begin with under Kingsley's orders, because he was the first person Kingsley was suspicious of, and he is actually the reason Kingsley's investigations began from the start."

"So if you are not an Auror-in-Training," Ron said, "Are you an Auror?"

"Not exactly, Ron," Billingsley said. "I am actually the leading man behind the Public Security Department."

"What?" Ron asked.

"It was my idea to begin with," Billingsley said, "Before Kingsley's investigations even started, I was thinking about the security of the wizarding world. I created the department, because I felt the Daily Prophet was giving out too much information about the goings-on inside the Ministry. I knew that if any rumors emerged about a possible threat to the wizarding world, then it would cause panic. I didn't want that to happen, so I brought my ideas to Shacklebolt. He was extremely happy with the idea, and agreed with it basically right away."

"So you are the reason Hermione lost her job?" Ron asked.

"I guess you could say that, yes," Billingsley said, "And I want to give my most sincerest apologies for that. I knew there would be jobs affected by this."

Ron looked at Hermione, but couldn't figure out what she was thinking.

"Hermione?" Ron asked.

"If you told me this when I got fired," Hermione said, "I would have probably been mad. But it is okay now. I have an interview tomorrow for another job. So no harm done, I guess."

"So did you have anything to do with Shippe getting arrested?" Harry asked.

"Oh, yes," Billingsley said. "Ron, I am sure you've been trying to figure out who the trainee was that Shippe was arguing with the day you came back from Azkaban, right?"

"Yeah," Ron said. "You know who he is?"

"Yes," Billingsley said. "He is not an Auror-in-training. He is another member of the Public Security Department. He is not familiar to you because he was a new rookie who came into the training department a couple weeks ago under my order. His job was to get Shippe worked up, to get him to admit some things. That was my idea. What I didn't expect was that it would happen right in front of an Auror-In-Training."

"Me," Ron said.

"Not you in particular, but it went that way," Billingsley said. "I am sorry you got mixed up in it. I understand Shippe may have threatened you. You can rest assured that those threats mean nothing. Shippe will most likely be convicted of treason against the wizarding world."

"So Shippe is involved in with this threat?" Harry asked.

"We believe he tried to recruit Aurors-In-Training to join those involved in the Dark Arts," Billingsley said. "There were a few trainees whom Kingsley had pinpointed in the investigations, and they admitted to meetings with Shippe. At first we thought the trainees were lying just to underhand Shippe. But the reports were becoming too numerous to be a story between a group of scoundrels."

"I wonder what this means for us," Ron said, "Shippe was our only trainer."

"Kingsley told me this morning that you will have a new trustworthy trainer by this time tomorrow morning," Billingsley said, "One who has had thorough background checks. In fact, I believe they were a personal favorite of Kingsley in the Auror department when he was a part of it. And with that, I best be off. Have some things I need to do in the Public Security Department. Ron, Harry... it was nice to work with both of you. I hope that just because I am no long your fellow Auror-In-Training, that this won't be the last time we speak to each other."

"Sure," Ron said.

"You bet," Harry said.

"Great," Billingsley said. "Oh, and if you will, please do not mention my undercover work. I've already handled everything, so there will be no confusion as to why I do not show up for training tomorrow."

Billingsley smiled and walked toward the door, opened it, left and closed the door behind him.

Ron stared at Hermione and Harry for a moment. He didn't know what to say. So much had gone on in so little time.

"Pretty crazy stuff, huh?" Harry asked.

"Did he tell you any of this before you come over?" Hermione asked him.

"Nope," Harry said, shaking his head. "He told me about Shippe. I told him I was going to come over here, and he asked if he could come along. I guess he wanted to give his story just once."

"He must like you two to reveal something like that," Hermione said.

"I think he just trusts us more," Harry said, "after our experience at Azkaban."

"Yeah, an occasion like that can bring people together," Ron said, laughing shakily.

Suddenly, a cracking sound of someone apparating was heard just outside the front door, causing Ron, Hermione and Harry to turn toward it.

"Was that Billingsley leaving?" Ron asked.

"No," Hermione said. "That was the sound of someone arriving, not leaving."

Hermione walked over to the door and opened it. Ginny was standing outside the door.

"Ginny?" Harry asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Can I come in?" Ginny said, in a barely audible voice.

Ron looked at Ginny. Something was wrong. He also noticed there was redness around her eyes. She looked as if she had been crying.

"Sure," Hermione said.

Ginny walked past Harry and Hermione and straight over to Ron.

"What's wrong, Ginny?" Ron asked, as Hermione closed the front door.

Ginny reached into a pocket in her jeans and took out a piece of parchment. She handed it to Ron, who opened it. The writing on the parchment was from his mother. He started to read it:

_Ginny,_

_What we have been dreading for a while now has finally happened. Errol passed away late last night. He died peacefully in his sleep, I think. I went to go feed him this morning and found him laying in the barn. We're going to have a small private funeral tomorrow here at the Burrow, some time around noon. Please tell Ron, if you can. Make sure he knows._

_Love,_

_Mum_

Ron had to read the letter three times before he looked away from it. Poor Errol. The bloody bird may have annoyed him, but he was like family.

Ron looked up at Hermione and Harry, both of whom were staring at him. It took him a moment to put what he had just read into words.

"Errol passed away last night," Ron said, quietly.

Hermione's hands went to her face and cupped her mouth.

"Oh, Ron, Ginny," she said, "I'm so sorry."

"He was old," Ron said, with a sigh, "I'm surprised he lived this long."

"Mum's arranged a private funeral for Errol," Ginny said, "Tomorrow around noon."

"We'll be there with you," Harry said.

Hermione nodded in agreement.

Hermione was up before Ron, and he found her in the kitchen. Smells of delicious food surrounded him as he walked in.

"Seems like a lot of food for breakfast," Ron said.

"Only part of this is for breakfast," Hermione said, "I am making a couple dishes for the meal after the funeral."

"Oh, you didn't have to do that," Ron said, "I'm sure Mum is preparing all of that as we speak."

"I just feel like I should," Hermione said, "Your mum's going to be a wreck today. I know she loved that bird. So I feel like I should take some of the burden off her hands."

"Hermione, I know you more than you think I do," Ron said, "There is something else going on. What is it?"

Hermione sighed. She waved her wand toward the stove and counter, and the food started to prepare itself. She then turned around and looked at Ron.

"You know after I got sacked from my job," she said, "that I started working on plans for our wedding, right?"

"Yeah, sure," Ron said, nodding.

"As I was doing that," Hermione said, "I had so many thoughts going through my head. One that kept coming back to me was 'what if I was just overstating my time with your family these past few year?' Most of the time I was at the Burrow because you and Harry and Ginny are my best friends, and away from Hogwarts, you were my connection to the wizarding world. I felt that maybe I wasn't as welcome into your family as Harry was. I had my parents, who love me, and have no problem with me being a witch. But Harry... his relatives, they were so nasty to him, and your family recognized that. He was always welcome at your place, just so he could get away from those nasty Dursleys. He was already like family."

Ron seemed to already know what she was going to say, but he knew she wouldn't let him say anything until she was finished, so he kept listening.

"I just never felt like part of the family," Hermione continued. "Not like Harry did. Now I want to try to feel that way, and if it means helping your mother with the family meal, then that is what I am going to do... even if she doesn't know it."

Ron just stood there, looking at Hermione. If she only knew, she wouldn't say these things. Hermione looked at Ron, as if telling him to say something. Ron burst out laughing.

"What in Merlin's saggy left trousers could you possibly be laughing about?" Hermione asked, surprised.

"Oh, I was just thinking how incredibly oblivious you are, especially for being so incredibly smart," Ron said.

"Oblivious?" Hermione asked, "Me?"

"Yes, you!" Ron said, chuckling, "How in the world could you ever think my family would not think of you as one of them. We aren't even married, and to them, you could already be a Weasley. If you had the ginger hair, they'd probably make you an honorary Weasley right then."

Hermione blushed a brilliant shade of pink.

"But," Hermione stammered, "Harry – he -"

"And who's to say there is a rule in the world," Ron said, "that says you can only accept one person, outside your family, as an honorary family member?"

Hermione blushed again.

"Honestly, Hermione," Ron said, "If my family didn't like you, do you honestly think you would have spent as much time at the Burrow as you did?"

"I guess I am just being silly, aren't I?" Hermione asked, "Pre-wedding jitters."

"Massive pre-wedding jitters," Ron said, "Considering it isn't for quite a few months."

When Ron and Hermione arrived at the Burrow around eleven, Harry and Ginny were already there, along with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Percy, George, Angelina, Bill, Fleur, and baby Victoire. All of them (except for Victoire who was nestled in her baby seat) was sitting around the large picnic table in the back of the house when Ron and Hermione arrived

"- and he smacked into the window –- wham, just like that!" Percy said, his hand slamming onto the table at the right time.

Most of the table's occupants erupted in laughter. Mrs. Weasley, though, wiped a tear from her eye. It seemed Hermione was right: Ron's mother was most affected by the death of Errol.

"Oh, I am sorry, Mum," Percy said, recognizing the look on his mother's face.

"It's okay, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, "If we didn't recall those moments in Errol's life, there wouldn't be very many to recall. He always seemed to be doing things like that – oh, Ronald, Hermione, you've made it."

Mrs. Weasley stood up from the picnic table and walked over to Ron and Hermione, hugging them both.

"Of course," Ron said.

"We wouldn't miss this," Hermione said. "Oh, I brought a couple of dishes for the meal. They are in the kitchen."

"That was very thoughtful of you," Mrs. Weasley said, "Thank you, dear."

Hermione was about to respond, but was interrupted by a loud crack from someone apparating. A few moments later, Hagrid appeared walking around the Burrow toward them.

"Ah, Hagrid," Mrs. Weasley said, "I'm so happy you received my invitation."

"Couldn' miss this fer the world, Molly," Hagrid said, "If it wasn' fer Errol, I migh' still be in Azkaban. He was the one who delivered my release papers so many years ago. Turned up a bit late, if I 'member correctly, but he got there. That's the important part, I guess."

Hagrid chuckled lightly to himself.

"Well, since I think everyone is here whom I had invited," Mrs. Weasley, "How about we start this a little early? Best to get it over with, I say."

Everyone followed Mrs. Weasley toward the edge of the Weasley's barn. A small hole had already been dug out. Mr. Weasley walked into the barn and returned shortly after with a small shoebox and a shovel. He looked at the shoebox in his arms, then looked at everyone else huddled around.

"We are gathered here today," he began, "to honor, and lay to rest, not only an loyal owl, but a loved member of this family. Even though his last few years were not the best of his life, as he continued to age, he stayed loyal and continued to do the work he was bred to do. I remember one memorable day when he delivered a letter to my office when I worked in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts department. He came in to deliver the letter crashed into a model airplane, destroyed it and I spent the next week putting it back together. Didn't even use a repairing charm because I wanted to put it together myself. I hadn't had that much fun at work in quite a while!"

Ron, George, Harry, Hagrid and Ginny laughed.

"That is all thanks to Errol of course," Mr. Weasley said.

He looked around, expecting someone to speak up.

"I remember, Mum," Ron said, "You sent me that Howler after Harry and I took the Ford Anglia to Hogwarts. Errol delivered it and crashed into my bowl of cereal."

"I remember that!" George said, laughing, "Even before you opened the Howler, your cheeks were as red as your hair!"

"Each time one of us would get our Hogwarts letter," Bill said, his eyes transfixed on the shoebox, "Errol would be the one to send it. He'd always arrive late. I remember wondering if I got into Hogwarts, and fussing all day because I thought it wouldn't come. And he came back late with my letter, and I was so happy, I hugged the bloody bird so tightly he passed out. If you hadn't been so happy with my Hogwarts letter, Mum, you probably would have yelled at me for making Errol faint."

"The summer before my third year of Hogwarts," Harry said, "Ron, Hermione and Hagrid sent birthday presents for me. They came all at once, and I remember Hedwig and the Hogwarts owl having to help Errol into my bedroom at Privet Drive. He looked so helpless, but I felt so grateful. He was carrying a package that seemed way too big for him, and he delivered it right to my bedroom. Even though he was tired, he made sure he delivered that package."

"Every one of these stories tell me that we all have something to remember Errol by," Mr. Weasley said. "He may have become old and tired and slow, but he made us laugh, and he always brought our letters, no matter how tired he was. Errol, I know you are up in that big Owlery in the sky, but you are down here in our hearts, and in our memories."

Mr. Weasley took out his wand, and made the shoebox hover. He lowered it into the hole in the ground.

"I thought we could each shovel some dirt into it," he said, "Then do the rest of the job with magic. Errol couldn't do magic when he sent his letters and packages. So it would be a nice way to honor him."

He picked up the shovel, stuck it into the pile of dirt, then dropped the dirt into the hole. He passed it to Ron, who did the same, and everyone took their turn. Hagrid had so much trouble, and he almost broke the small shovel in his hand. Mr. Weasley then used magic to levitate the rest of the dirt into the ground and even it out.

"Rest in peace, Errol," Ginny said.

"Thank you, Errol," Ron said, "For everything."

Everyone said their goodbyes, then returned to the Burrow. Although there were many discussions during their afternoon meal, the number one topic was Errol.

-  
**Wow, sorry this chapter took so long. Writer's block is a pain. Didn't even plan on the part with Errol in this chapter, then it came to me!**

**Hope you all liked the chapter. More should be coming soon!**

**Feedback would be awesome!**


	33. In With The New

**Chapter 33  
****In With the New**

**Author's Note: In my last chapter I made a little mistake. When talking to Billingsley, she said she had an interview "tomorrow", meaning the day of the last half of my chapter. It was actually supposed to be "Monday". That interview happens in this chapter. First off, I'll comment on a review I got:**

**TheForestpaw13 "I would like to see more of Ginny and her Quidditch team"**

**Ginny's next match is coming up pretty soon. Time-wise, it is scheduled for the end of the week from when this chapter starts. I have quite a few things to do within the next few chapters, but I will try to add that in as well! :)**

**(Ron's PoV)**

Breakfast was simple that morning, since both Ron and Hermione had to be at the Ministry of Magic early.

Hermione's interview would start at nine, and she spent most of breakfast reading over her resume and researching the history and details of the _Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures_.

Ron, on the other hand, wanted to be at the Ministry of Magic rather early in order to impress the new trainee who was starting today. He had no idea who this person was, but he wanted to start off on the right foot with them. If that meant getting there before anyone else, that was what he was going to do.

Ron finished his bowl of cereal quickly, rinsed it out, and headed out of the kitchen. Behind him, Hermione cleared her throat. Ron turned around.

"Leaving so soon?" Hermione asked.

"I told you," Ron said, "I want to be there to-"

Hermione was giving him that pouting look that he found so adorable. Ron grinned and walked back over to Hermione. He kissed her briefly, but softly, on the lips.

"Good luck with your interview," Ron said, "I'm sure you'll get the job."

"Good luck with the new trainer," Hermione said.

Ron smiled and headed out of the kitchen, then over to the fireplace. A few moments later, he was walking out of one of the Ministry's fireplaces and toward one of the lifts. To Ron's surprise, Harry was standing inside the lift.

"Decided to come early too, have you?" Harry asked, grinning.

"Thought it was probably best," Ron said. "Better to be really early than late, and get in trouble with the new trainer."

"Yeah," Harry said.

Harry pushed a button on the wall, and the lift started to sink into the ground.

"So, Hermione's interview is today, right?" he asked.

"Nine-o-clock, yeah," Ron said.

"Great," Harry said. "Which reminds me: Hermione's birthday is next week. Have you planned anything yet?"

Ron's eyes widened. Hermione's birthday? Next week?

"You forgot your fiancee's birthday, didn't you?" Harry asked.

"No!" Ron lied, but too quickly, "No..."

Harry grinned, and nodded.

"You forgot her birthday," he said again.

"Yes," Ron resigned, "What I am going to do?"

"Relax," Harry said, "It is still over a week away. I am sure you'll figure something."

"Yeah," Ron said, "Thanks for reminding me, mate. I owe you one."

"Hey, what are best mates for?" Harry asked. "Though I suppose I could have let you forgotten, and had a good laugh."

Ron rolled his eyes. The lift doors opened to Level one, which floored the offices of the Minister of Magic and his personal staff. A young lady who looked only a few years older than Ron walked into the lifts.

"Good morning," she said.

"Good morning," Ron and Harry said.

The lady smiled and turned around. Ron couldn't help but look at the lady. She was taller than Hermione, and had long, blonde hair that went halfway down her back. She wore tight jeans and a rather tight leather jacket. In the reflection of the lifts, Ron could see that the young witch had bright blue eyes and rosy lips.

Harry cleared his throat, and Ron looked at him. Harry raised his eyebrows, as if trying to ask Ron something. Ron shrugged, but Harry just shook his head.

"Level Two," the cool voice said, "Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including the Improper Use of Magic Office, Auror Headquarters and Wizengamot Administration Services."

The lift doors opened and the young witch walked out. Ron and Harry paused for a moment, then walked out as well. They stood very still, at the entrance of the lifts, and watched the young witch walk down the hall. Harry hit Ron on the shoulder.

"What was that for?" Ron asked.

"You were gawking, Ron," Harry said, "You couldn't take your eyes off her in the lifts."

"I was just... admiring her," Ron said.

"Uh-huh," Harry said, "And what would Hermione say if she caught you?"

"Er... I..." Ron said, then sighed, "I didn't think about that. I don't know what I'd do if she caught me."

"Relax," Harry said, "I doubt we'll ever see that girl again."

Ron sighed in relief. Harry laughed, and shook his head.

"Come on," he said.

Ron followed Harry toward the Aurors' office. Soon, they arrived in the locker rooms. No one else was there: Ron and Harry were indeed the first to arrive.

"So who do you think our new trainer is?" Ron asked, as he changed into his training outfit.

"Didn't Billingsley say it was someone that Kingsley admired?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," Ron said. "Hey, maybe it is someone from the Order! That'd be wicked."

"You're just saying that because you hope they would give us an easier time," Harry said.

"Well, whoever it is," Ron said, "I hope it's a better bloke than Shippe."

"Billingsley did say that the new trainer was trustworthy," Harry said, "So I have no doubts that they'll be better."

Ron and Harry finished changing clothes and walked out toward the training room, in search of the new trainer. They walked over to the trainer's office, and, at first, Ron couldn't believe his eyes. The lady from the elevator was sitting at Shippe's old desk.

"It can't be," Ron whispered.

"Well, she did get off on the same floor we did," Harry said, grinning.

"She is our new trainer?" Ron asked. "She doesn't even look old enough to have enough years as an Auror to qualify to be a trainer!"

"Well, if she is the one that Kingsley trusts," Harry said, "Then she must be pretty good. What do you say? Should we go welcome her?"

Before Ron could say "No!", Harry knocked on the door. The new trainer looked up. She nodded her head, and Harry opened the door. Ron muttered under his breath as he walked into the office with Harry. This was not going to go too well. He just knew it.

"Ah, if it isn't the two gentleman from the lifts," the young lady said, "I should have known you two were Aurors in training. I'm going to take a guess and say you are Ron Weasley and Harry Potter."

"How did you know that?" Ron said, almost accusingly.

Ron regretted asking the question, because he thought he knew the answer. Everyone knew who Harry was, and of course, he, Ron, was one of the heroes of the Second War, though he never really saw him as one. Would this new trainer know that?

The trainer picked up a large folder. It read "Aurors-In-Training".

"I've been looking through the profiles to see who I am going to be dealing with," she said. "Trying to sort out the promising recruits from the failures. I do not waste my time on failures."

The trainer looked at Harry, then Ron.

"But I don't think I have to worry about failures with you too," she said, "Do I?"

Ron and Harry shook their heads.

"Good to know," she said, "I am Allison Fawning. As you have probably guessed. I am your new trainer."

"The Minister of Magic chose you?" Ron asked.

"I felt very honored when he chose me to train the new recruits," Allison said, "Like you, and like every other Auror there has ever been, I too was an Auror-in-Training. I wasn't exactly the best recruit. I didn't pass with flying colors. I wasn't the top of my class, like you two seem to be. But I passed. I was almost a failure and I could never get over that. That is why I try to sort out the achievers from the failures. The failures don't get you anywhere. They waste your time. Luckily we won't have to deal with them for long. I'm sure the next exam at the end of the month will sort them out."

"Exam?" Ron asked, "End of the month? But, we already passed our exam this month."

"What?" Allison asked. "You mean investigating an Azkaban breakout?"

Ron and Harry nodded. Allison laughed. But Ron could tell it wasn't the humorous kind.

"That was Shippe's exam," Allison said. "But Shippe was a failure. Chose to go the path of the Dark Arts. You will be dealing with my exams from now on. If you pass these, you should be proud to call yourself an Auror. Now if you two gentleman wouldn't mind, I need to continue my paperwork before training begins."

She motioned toward the door. Harry and Ron walked out of the office, and closed the door behind them.

"She's nice," Harry said.

"Uh-huh," Ron said.

"What's the matter with you?" Harry asked.

"Remember our earlier conversation?" Ron asked, "Lets just say you don't have to worry about anything. That conversation was a real turn-off."

Harry laughed.

"Can you believe we have to do another exam this month?" Ron asked. "I thought we were free until next month. Just something else we have to do. I really hope Kingsley knew what he was doing when he chose that one."

**(Hermione's PoV)**

Hermione arrived at the Ministry of Magic thirty minutes before her interview. This gave her enough time to get through the hustle and bustle of early morning controlled chaos the Ministry was known for, and arrive at the Department for the Regulation and control of Magical Creatures well before she was expected to be there for her interview.

At precisely nine-o-clock, a man in his forties walked through a door behind the clerk's desk.

"Hermione Granger?" the man said.

Hermione stood up from the chair she was sitting in and walked over to the man. Hermione noticed the name-tag on the man's shirt read E. Bowman.

"Follow me, please," Bowman said.

Bowman led Hermione through the door, and into a fairly narrow hallway. A few moments later, they arrived at a couple of large oak doors at the end of the hallway. Bowman opened the doors, and Hermione walked through them. They were in a large, majestic office that rivaled the Minister of Magic's office. Maroon carpet covered the floor. On the other side of the room, a large ornate desk stood with a leather-backed chair sitting behind it, and a couple of chairs on the other side. Behind the desk, a window was placed. Hermione knew that the window, like every other window, and the the types of weather, in the Ministry was fake, and placed there by the Magical Maintenance to make everyone happy. The appearance of the stormy weather outside the window made Hermione think that the Magical Maintenance wasn't happy themselves.

"Please be seated," Bowman said.

Hermione took a seat in one of the chairs in front of the desk. The first thing she noticed was the gold nameplate that read: Ephraim Bowman, Director.

"As you can see by the nameplate," Bowman said, as he rounded the desk and took a seat, "I am Ephraim Bowman, and I am the director of this department."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, sir," Hermione said. "But I am confused. I expected to be interviewed by someone... well..."

"Someone with less duties than myself," Bowman said, smiling, "Yes. That is usually the normal protocol. But when I saw your resume, and saw that you were referred here by Head Judge Morrison, I volunteered to take your interview myself."

"I feel quite honored," Hermione said.

Bowman chuckled.

"It is a pity that the new Security Department cost so many jobs in the Ministry," he said, "Department heads usually have a say in the creation of new departments and new jobs, but I didn't get the memo about the Public Security Department until it was already created. It seems the department's creation was bypassed over the normal laws around here."

Bowman picked up the folder on his desk and thumbed through it briefly.

"Hermione, can you tell me why you would like to join this department?" Bowman asked.

"Well, sir," Hermione said, "While I attended Hogwarts, I found myself in situations where I found the treatment of magical creatures hardly fair. Do you recall the trial of the hippogriff Buckbeak?"

"Yes, of course," Bowman said. "Back then, I wasn't the head of this department, so I didn't have much control over the proceedings, but I found it highly unfair what had happened to the poor beast. Wrongly accused of a brutal attack when it was later proved that the victim was hardly injured at all. If this department had only spoken to Madam Pomfrey at the time, I feel the hippogriff would have been innocent. I was actually quite relieved when I found out it had escaped, though I never found out how it had accomplished such a feat."

"You basically summed up everything I was going to say, sir," Hermione said, "I was a witness to the original attack, and Draco Malfoy, the victim, wasn't that injured at all. I felt, as I do now, that if I could have had a part in the investigation, I would have done as much as I could have to make sure the innocent, or guilty, plea was one-hundred percent correct. That is why I want to join this department. Because I believe the magical creatures have just as many rights as we do, and to see the cruelty against some of them is just too horrible."

"Like house-elves?" Bowman asked.

"Sir?" Hermione asked.

"I read in your resume that you were interested in the liberation of House Elves," Bowman said.

"Well, er... yes," Hermione said. "I've seen so many at Hogwarts, and I felt disgusted at the they they were treated. They were just treated like... like..."

"Slaves," Bowman and Hermione said.

Hermione looked at Bowman. Bowman smiled.

"We are very much alike, you and I, Miss Granger," he said. "I, too, have always seen the unfairness of the treatment of House Elves. Unfortunately, many of the workers here in this department, including the former director, are all owners of House Elves. And unfortunately, like most owners of House Elves, they never see the brutality you and I see. So they never care for the idea of liberating them. But I think you and I may be able to change that. It will take some time, of course, and, if you are a part of this department, you will be required to do other duties before then, but I believe in the future we may be able to achieve this dream that, at the moment, is only a fantasy. I can't promise it, and it may take a few years, but maybe down the line you'll be the head of that department you want so much."

"You mean I have the job?" Hermione asked.

"You had the job before you walked into this department," Bowman said, "Head Judge Morrison made sure of that. I wasn't so sure at first until I read the stuff in this folder. Even then, I wasn't sure. But this interview... you impress me, Miss Granger. Together, we might be able to do a lot. Perhaps you can help revolutionize this department."

Hermione smiled. "Thank you, sir!" she said.

"You're very welcome," Bowman said. "Now, where should we put you to begin with in this department? You seem to be interested in magical law as well, given that you first took a job in the Wizengamot. So how about we place you in the law division of the department. You'll be the assistant to one of the... well, I refer to them as lawyers. And I think I know the perfect one to place you with. He is a, excuse the term, newbie in this business. He is learning the ropes, just like you. And he has been looking for an assistant who can keep up with him. I think you'll be able to do that, eh?"

"I'll certainly try to, sir," Hermione said.

"Brilliant!" Bowman said. "You start tomorrow at nine-o-clock, but how about we meet him now? He shouldn't be too busy at the moment."

Hermione nodded.

"Wonderful!" Bowman said.

Hermione followed Bowman out of the office. They walked down to a door near the other end of the hall, and went through it. Yet another narrow hall was seen. Bowman walked down to the second door on the right, and knocked on it.

"Come in!" a voice said.

Bowman opened the door, and Hermione followed him in. She immediately noticed the young man sitting behind the larger of the two desks in the small office. He was rather handsome and had short, blonde hair, brown eyes, and was dressed in a white and brown business suit.

"Brady, you have a new assistant," Bowman said, "She will be starting tomorrow, but I thought you two would want to meet, since you will be seeing each other a lot now. Hermione Granger, this is Brady Sexton."

"It is nice to meet you," Hermione said.

"The pleasure is all mine," Brady said.

Hermione smiled. Even Brady's voice sounded handsome.

"I'll just let both of you get acquainted," Bowman said. "Hermione, I will see you tomorrow to talk about stuff like your paycheck."

Hermione nodded. Bowman walked out of the office.

"The office is rather small," Brady said, kind of apologetically, "I guess that is what I get for being a newbie."

"It's great," Hermione said.

"You know," Brady said, "You look rather familiar. Have we met?"

"I don't think so," Hermione said.

"When did you graduate Hogwarts?" Brady asked.

"Last term," Hermione said, "But it was my eighth year. I wasn't able to attend Hogwarts for my seventh."

"That explains it," Brady said, "I was three years above you in Hogwarts. Ravenclaw. I probably saw you around the Great Hall sometimes. You always hung around Harry Potter."

"Yeah, we're best friends," Hermione said.

"Brilliant," Brady said.

"So what are you working on?" Hermione asked.

"A new case," Brady said, "Just came in this morning. A dragon in Romania got loose and burnt down half of a small village and damaged an ancient castle nearby. Ministry of Magic was sent to make sure the Muggles blame it on an earthquake and a forest fire. Only problem with that is the town wasn't near a forest before it got burnt down."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked. "'Before?'"

"Obliviators had to go and wipe the memories of all the villagers clean and magically create the illusion of a large forest around the town. But I, on the other hand, have to deal with the dragon. I am due in Romania tomorrow to investigate. Hey, that means you can come along as well. Nice first day for a job, eh?"

"Yeah," Hermione said, grinning.

"Well, I have to work on the arrangements for the trip," Brady said, "So I will see you tomorrow. Have a nice day."

"See you then," Hermione said, smiling.

Hermione left the office, and headed back toward the Atrium. She went to the Apparation-safe point and returned home. She felt happy that she had a job once again, so soon after she left. She couldn't wait to tell Ron, and laughed to herself when she imagined what he'd say to the thought of S.P.E.W coming back sometime in the future.

-  
**Rather short chapter, but I thought it was good. You might notice a couple similarities between both parts of this chapter, something having to do with new characters. Also, I was going to have the character Hermione works with be someone more familiar, like a fellow classmate of Hermione's. But I couldn't think who would be a good one, so I made a new character.**

**Hope you liked the chapter! Feedback would be great!**


	34. Mountain Ranges and Robots

**Chapter 34  
****Mountain Ranges and Robots**

**Edit: To those who have reviewed this chapter before I had to upload it again, thank you! I appreciate it. But I noticed a few mistakes and I needed to redo them, or they were going to bug me. So I had to upload this again.**

**Author's Note: This chapter is mostly going to focus on Hermione, but I am going to try to get Ron in a little bit.**

**(Hermione's PoV)  
**_  
_Hermione had prepared a nice big dinner for herself and Ron that night, in celebration of her new job and Ron's new trainer. When Ron got home, he looked pretty exhausted.

"Rough day?" Hermione asked, when Ron walked into the kitchen.

"Mmhmm," Ron said, "Something smells good."

"Pork chops," Hermione said, smiling, "See?"

Ron walked over to Hermione, and put his arms around her.

"I wasn't talking about the food," he whispered into Hermione's ear.

Hermione blushed. She wrinkled her nose in mock-disgust.

"You, on the other hand, don't smell good at all," she said, though she grinned.

"It's a manly smell," Ron said.

Hermione laughed.

"Go take a quick shower," she said, "Dinner will be ready when you are done. Then we can talk about my new job and your new trainer."

Ron mumbled something under his breath, but before Hermione could ask, he walked out of the kitchen. Hermione stared at the spot Ron was just at. What was wrong with Ron's new trainer? Did he not like them?

As promised, dinner was ready and on the table when Ron returned to the kitchen.

"So," Ron said, as he started on his meal, "How did your interview go?"

Hermione recognized how quickly Ron had started the conversation. It seemed he didn't want to talk about his trainer just yet.

"Pretty well, I think," Hermione said. "The head of the department is really nice. He actually supports my idea for House-Elf liberation."

"He likes the idea of spew?" Ron asked, through a mouthful of potatoes..

"S.P.E.W," Hermione said, rolling her eyes, "Yes. Though he seems to be the only one. He said it might take a few years, but the department could come along, and I could head it."

"So you didn't get the job?" Ron asked, "Wait, no, hold on. You said you did get a new job."

"Of course I did," Hermione said. "I am working in the law branch of the department."

"Like the Wizengamot?" Ron asked.

"Sort of," Hermione said. "We deal with the court cases that have to do with magical creatures. Well, not me. I am just an assistant. I work for a lawyer. He's a rookie, just like me."

Hermione paused. Ron looked like he was frowning.

"A rookie, huh?" Ron asked. "So... I guess he must be pretty young."

"He was three years above us in Hogwarts," Hermione said.

"A fellow Hogwarts student," Ron said, "That's great."

"Yeah, he was a Ravenclaw," Hermione said. "Anyway, I start tomorrow, and it looks like I am going to have quite a first day at work. A dragon in Romania got loose and made quite a mess, and he has to go sort things out."

"And you'll be going along with him?" Ron asked.

"I am his assistant," Hermione said, "So yeah. Shouldn't take too long. I hope."

Ron nodded, staring at his food.

"Your turn, Ron," Hermione said.

"What do you mean?" Ron asked.

"Your new trainer!" Hermione said, "What are they like?"

"Sh- they are okay, I guess," Ron said. "I can see why Kingsley picked this particular one. This new trainer, Fawning, they don't like failures."

"So Fawning is definitely better than Shippe?" Hermione asked.

"Oh yeah," Ron said, "Leagues better. Only bad news I got was that we have to do another exam this month."

"Another one?" Hermione asked.

"Shippe's exam didn't count, I guess," Ron said, shrugging, "Even though Kingsley approved of it, and you know, we did figure out a few things about a fugitive. I guess he just wants us to forget Shippe and start new with Fawning."

"What does Harry think of Fawning?" Hermione asked.

"I'm not sure," Ron said. "But you can never tell with Harry, can you?"

He chuckled.

"So... an escaped dragon," Ron said, "That sounds like fun!"

Hermione nodded. The rest of the conversation during the meal was just small talk. Whenever she'd try to bring up the Auror training again, Ron would quickly change the subject. Hermione couldn't quite put her foot on what was going on with Ron when it came to his new trainer, but perhaps he just didn't know too much about them. Hermione didn't know much about Brady Sexton, so she couldn't comment too much about him either. There was also the fact that she found this Sexton guy sort of attractive, but didn't want to admit that to Ron at all. She knew how Ron would react, because he was the same way with Viktor Krum, and Hermione wasn't ready for one of those arguments.

When Hermione arrived at her office the next morning, Brady was already there. He was kneeling next to a small fireplace that Hermione hadn't noticed before. In fact, if she was right, it hadn't been there before.

"Of course, Minister," Brady said to the fireplace, "I am going to do everything I can."

"You better," a voice said, with a heavy Romanian accent, "Those dragons are highly valuable and I don't want to lose any because of some accident."

Hermione looked over Brady's shoulder and saw a face in the fireplace. He had a long black beard and looked pretty gruff.

"You know how many Galleons Norwegian Ridgebacks cost these days?" the Romanian Minister of Magic said, "If this keeps up, that hag who calls herself the Norwegian Minister of Magic is going to make trade of these Ridgebacks illegal! I can't have that! So you better be able to do something! I am trusting your British department on this, and I better get some results!"

"You will, Minister," Brady said, "I'll talk to you soon."

"Hmmph," the Romanian Minister grunted.

Hermione heard a whooshing sound and the Romanian Minister's face was gone from the fire. Brady stood up and turned around.

"Oh!" he said in surprise, "Hello, Hermione."

"Problems?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing to worry about," Brady said, "Just had to get permission from the Romanian Minister of Magic before we could go to Romania today."

"Is that a portable fireplace?" Hermione asked.

"Brilliant, isn't it?" Brady asked, "Picked it up recently. Great for quick Floo conversation. Not good for Floo travel though. Can't take it with you in the network. So, you ready? I'm not exactly sure how long we are going to be in Romania. Might take all day. So I want to leave as soon as possible."

"How are we getting there?" Hermione asked.

"Apparation," Brady said, "I've had my office temporarily designated safe for it. Have you been to Romania?"

"No," Hermione said, "I've always wanted to go though. Is that going to be a problem... that I haven't been there, I mean?"

"Not at all," Brady said, "We can go just go using Side-Along Apparation. Do you know what that is?"

"Oh yes," Hermione said, "I've had to use that plenty of times."

"Brilliant!" Brady said.

He offered his hand. Hermione was about to ask what he was doing, then she realized it was part of the Side-Along Apparation. Hermione reluctantly took it.

"Nice ring," Brady said, noticing Hermione's engagement ring.

Before Hermione could say "thanks", she felt that familiar tug that meant Apparation was beginning. Soon, she felt as if she was being pulled through a straw, into darkness. A few moments, and one deep exhale of breath, the feeling went away. She opened her eyes and found herself and Brady standing in a lush green field surrounded by mountains.

"Welcome to the Surejan Mountain range," Brady said, "home to one of the most well-known dragon reserves in the world. Well, well-known to the wizarding world. The reserve is in a valley in the mountains."

"Is it hidden to Muggles?" Hermione asked.

"Not exactly," Brady said, "The Romanian Government is not well-known for their love for the Muggle population. In other words, they don't really care about them. But the Muggles find this range quite treacherous. No Muggle who has hiked this range has ever returned."

"That's horrible," Hermione said.

"Yes," Brady said. "Well, we better get going. We have a little bit of a hike ahead of us."

"We're walking from here?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Brady said. "It isn't a good idea to apparate to reserve. We could land in the middle of a herd, and trust me, you do not want to do that. Besides, this hike could do us some good. We didn't talk too much yesterday. We could get to know each other a bit more."

Hermione couldn't believe it. Was her new boss flirting with her? Did he not notice the engagement ring on her finger? Hermione was about to say something, then she realized... perhaps he didn't mean it that way. Perhaps he just meant just that they should know each other, given that they would be working together now. Didn't the director of the department say the same thing?

"Er... sure," Hermione said.

"Follow me, then," Brady said, "The reserve is this way."

"Have you been there before?" Hermione asked, as they started walking toward the western mountains.

"Once or twice," Brady said. "This isn't the first time I've had to deal with a dragon here. Of course, last time it wasn't this bad."

"What happened last time?" Hermione asked.

"An irresponsible rookie dragon trainer got badly burnt," Brady said. "It was his own bloody fault though. He wasn't paying attention. But of course, he didn't see it that way. He thought it was the dragon's fault, and so did his wealthy mother. The mother was all complaining about how her 'baby boy' could have been killed by a ruthless dragon. She tried to sue the reserve. But I figured out the rookie trainer was just bad at his job, and he got fired, and the reserve was saved. The Romanian Minister of Magic took a liking to me after that. So now I guess I am the only one he allows to come from the department."

"What about me?" Hermione asked.

"You're my assistant," Brady said, grinning, "There's no problem, trust me."

Hermione nodded.

"So how long is this walk?" she asked.

"Ten miles or so," Brady said, "With this rough terrain, it could take us a couple of hours. Good thing we left early. I suppose we could have brought a couple broomsticks to make it quicker-"

"Oh, no thank you," Hermione said, chuckling.

"You don't like to fly?" Brady asked.

"No," Hermione said, laughing shakily, "Though I can't say I haven't done it before. I just don't like the feeling. I like keeping my feet on the ground."

"That seems like a very Muggle-ish thing to say," Brady said.

"Well, my parents are Muggles," Hermione said, "So I guess it comes to me naturally."

"So you are Muggle-born?" Brady asked.

"Yeah," Hermione said, slowly. "Is that going to be a problem?"

"No, not at all," Brady said. "I hope you don't think I am anti-Muggle or anything. Definitely not. I was just surprised. I heard you were the smartest witch in your year. So I just assumed..."

"I was just big on studying I guess," Hermione said.

"I'm surprised you weren't in Ravenclaw," Brady said.

"Oh, it was the Sorting Hat's second choice," Hermione said, "But it placed me in Gryffindor, and I am happy it did."

"So," Brady said, "You are a genius Gryffindor who doesn't like flying. Do you like Quidditch?"

"Oh yeah," Hermione said. "Of course I don't play, but I like to spectate. One of my best friends is a rookie with the Holyhead Harpies. In fact her next game is Saturday, I believe."

"Wicked!" Brady said.

"You like Quidditch?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Brady said. "I could have played for Ravenclaw, but my parents never supported that idea. They believed it was a waste of my skills."

"Well, maybe I can scrounge up a ticket for you," Hermione said, "You could meet my friends and see the game."

"Sounds great!" Brady said.

Hermione smiled.

"Long way to go," Brady said, "Guess we should better concentrate on that."

Hermione nodded and they started their ten-mile trek toward the dragon reserve.

-  
(Ron's PoV)

"Stupefy!" Ron bellowed out.

Ron watched as a red beam raced toward something in the distance. It then hit the target.

"Yes!" Ron said, "Wait... what?"

The target was still moving toward him. He had been in this exercise for nearly fifteen minutes, and this was the first time he was able to get good look at his target. What he saw, he could not believe. His target did not look human. In fact it looked something similar to what his father liked to work with in the garage, back at the Burrow.

He had hit the target with a stunning spell. The target should have gone down, but it didn't look like it had even been harmed. In fact, it looked like it was getting ready to attack again.

"Ron, get down!" Harry yelled, from somewhere to Ron's left.

Ron dove to the ground just as a spell flew overheard. He rolled sideways behind a concrete wall.

"You okay, Ron?" Harry asked, as he crawled over toward Ron.

"I'm hiding behind a wall that is more-or-less an illusion," Ron said, "And being cursed at by something that is not human! Yeah, Harry, I'm bloody spectacular!"

Another red beam flew over Ron and Harry's heads.

"Ten minute warning," a cool voice said over head.

"Oh, yeah, and we are on a timer," Ron said."I almost forgot about that one."

"Oh, calm down, mate," Harry said, "We've done tougher things than this before. We just need to plan out a strategy."

"A strategy?" Ron asked, "What strategy can we use against a... what did you call it? A Borot?"

"A robot," Harry said, "It isn't human. It runs mechanically."

"Mechanically?" Ron asked. "Mechanical things aren't supposed to work around magic!"

"That's it, Ron!" Harry said. "Fawning had to know that, right? It is common knowledge."

"Well, yeah," Ron said, "So?"

"So, maybe she made it to where we can't curse the robot," Harry said, "We have to do it physically."

"Physically?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, you know, punch it," Harry said.

"That sounds mental," Ron said.

"It is the only idea I have," Harry said. "We just have to trust it."

"Okay," Ron said.

"We just need to dodge the spells and get toward the robot," Harry said.

"How do we do that?" Ron asked.

"We need a distraction," Harry said.

"Okay," Ron said, "Like what?"

Harry stared at Ron. Another red spell went overhead.

"Harry?" Ron asked.

"I'm thinking!" Harry said.

"Think harder!" Ron said.

Ron raised his head. He could see the robot clearly. It was coming closer toward them.

"Harry?" Ron asked again.

"Ron," Harry said, "What is your Patronus?"

"What?" Ron asked.

"Your Patronus!" Harry said, "What is it? A dog, right?"

"Yeah," Ron said, "A Jack Russel terrier. So? This isn't a dementor and you said magic wouldn't work against this thing!"

"Ron, it is the perfect distraction!" Harry said. "Patronuses can't be harmed, so it can just run around the robot. The bloody robot wouldn't know what to do, and we can go up and attack it."

"Brilliant!" Ron said, "Okay...here goes nothing."

Ron focused on a happy thought. Destroying this robot and showing Allison Fawning that her bloody ideas couldn't fool him. That seemed good enough!

"Expecto Patronum!" Ron bellowed.

A silver dog erupted from the end of Ron's wand.

"Go for the robot!" Ron commanded.

The Patronus barked and ran around the bush and headed toward the robot. Ron and Harry stood up. Ron watched the dog as it jumped toward the robot. The robot tried to curse the dog, but the spell went through the Patronus, and Ron and Harry had to run separate ways to dodge the spell as well. Just when Ron thought the plan wasn't going to work, the robot turned toward the Patronus.

"Okay, Ron!" Harry said, "Let's go!"

Ron nodded and charged the robot. He took one swinging punch at the robot and with a striking blow that sent a small pain through his knuckles, Ron hit his target and the robot fell to the ground. Ron was about to kick the robot, when the cool voice rang overhead.

"Exercise over," it said, "The trainers are victorious."

The walls and buildings surrounding Ron and Harry vanished, as did Ron's Patronus.

"Impressive," Allison said as she walked toward Ron and Harry, "Very impressive. You two are the first to get past my exercise today."

"Great," Ron said.

"You not only learned that patience is the key to victory," Allison said, "But so is knowledge and teamwork. Magic, however, and spells, and curses. They are not always the key to victory."

"Is that so?" Ron asked.

"Yes," Allison said. "Ron, is it true that you are not knowledgeable in the art of wand-less magic?"

"I guess," Ron said.

"And what would you do if you were disarmed?" Allison asked. "And you couldn't get your wand?"

"Hope my partner could help me?" Ron asked, nodding to Harry.

"What if you were alone?" Allison asked.

"You just said teamwork is the key to victory," Ron said, "So I wouldn't be alone."

"But if, Ron," Allison said. "If you were alone, and you couldn't use magic, what would you do?"

"Use my hands and legs," Ron said, "Like I did with your little toy."

"Exactly," Allison said, "And that was the key to this exercise. My robot resisted magic because I wanted it to. It was weak to physical attacks. But your fellow trainers who went before you were so used to using magic. That is a weakness in the wizarding world. We like magic. We use it too much. It has become a part of us, and sometimes I think that is not a good thing. For instance, the common wizard would not even think of using physical attacks. You two did. I am very impressed."

"I guess we're your typical uncommon wizards then," Harry said.

"Yeah," Ron said, "I guess so."

"Well, you two rest up," Fawning said, "More training will come pretty soon. I'm very curious to see if you have any limits."

Ron looked at Harry, who looked back at him. He could tell Harry was thinking the same thing he did: whatever Fawning was thinking, he wasn't sure he wanted to know what it was.

-  
**Okay, so I didn't get to the dragons this chapter, because I am saving that for next chapter.**

**What did you think of this chapter? What do you think of Brady and Fawning, and Ron and Hermione's actions around them?**

**More coming soon! Feedback would be amazing!**


	35. The Surejan Dragon Reserve

**Chapter 35  
****The Surejan Dragon Reserve**

**(Hermione's PoV)**

Just like Brady had said, the walk to the Surejan Dragon Reserve lasted almost two hours. Over all, it was a pretty nice jog. At least for the first three-quarters of a mile. Throughout the last thirty minutes of the journey, Hermione and Brady could already hear the thunderous roar of the dragons in the reserve.

"Most Muggles mistake that sound for thunderstorms," Brady said, after they had heard the roars for the first time, "Even if there are no clouds."

"Most?" Hermione replied, "What about the ones who are smart enough to know it is not thunder?"

"You don't want to know," Brady said darkly.

After that conversation, Hermione kept very silent until they reached the reserve. The only thing Hermione could hear was the sticks and leaves crunching beneath their shoes, and the thoughts in her head.

All throughout the journey, Brady kept doing strange things. Hermione would catch Brady looking back at her and she'd look away as if she didn't notice. He had also tried to help her over a couple of rather large fallen logs, when she knew she was capable of doing it herself.

The more she thought about it, the more she couldn't ignore it. She knew Brady was flirting with her, and she needed to tell him about Ron.

"Hey, Brady?" Hermione said, finally speaking up.

"Yeah?" Brady asked, turning toward her.

Just as Hermione was about to reply, she was interrupted by another loud roar from a dragon, except this one was very close.

"Oh!" Brady said, grinning, "Looks like we are there! The valley should be just over this hill."

He turned around and headed over the hill. Hermione sighed to herself and followed him. As soon as she reached the hill, she saw one of the most stunning views she had ever witnessed. Surrounded by mountains, a large bowl-shaped valley was set into the earth. It was as if someone had removed a large mountain in a range and flattened it into a valley. The outer rim of the valley looked as if it had suffered a great forest fire. Trees and leaves and grass had all been burnt to a crisp, so it looked like a large black circle had surrounded the dragon reserve.

"Quite a sight, isn't it?" Brady asked.

"Y-yes, it is," Hermione said, breathless at the mix of beauty of the valley and sheer horror of the destruction of the forest around the valley, "But it looks so burnt. That's horrible."

"Oh, yeah," Brady said, "Don't worry, that is an illusion."

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Trust me," Brady said, grinning, "Come on, you'll see what I mean soon."

Brady started down the mountain toward the valley, and Hermione followed.

"Keep an eye on the ground," Brady said, as they walked into the burnt part of the forest.

Hermione did so. It took only a couple of minutes before Hermione realized what Brady meant by illusion. When Hermione had reached the center of the burnt section of the forest, it was no longer burnt. It looked as lush and green as the rest of the forest.

"Oh wow," Hermione said.

"Great, isn't it?" Brady asked, "This whole reserve and the surrounding forest is under the safety of one giant illusion. If Muggles were to journey over here, the only thing they would see is a burnt part of the forest. But because of the magic, they'd forget about it soon after."

"So it is unplottable," Hermione said.

"Of course," Brady said, "Unfortunately the unplottable portion only surrounds the valley. The Romanians wouldn't allow what they called 'foreign magic' to take up a vast portion of their country. So unfortunately, when a dragon gets past the unplottable portion and into a part of the mountain range where Muggles can venture into, it gets pretty nasty. The Romanian Minister of Magic trusts our department to back them up when stuff like this happens. The dragons are pretty valuable to this country. Their participation in the Triwizard Tournament a few years ago did quite a bit of good to the financial situation for the wizarding population in this country."

"I can understand their usefulness," Hermione said.

"Good for you," Brady said. "That is what makes you a welcome addition to our department."

Hermione smiled, but when Brady smiled back, Hermione immediately regretted it. He seemed to still be flirting with her. Brady seemed to realize that she had noticed this, because he cleared his throat.

"We better go," he said, "They are expecting us. Don't want to be late."

Hermione nodded. Brady walked on, and Hermione followed him. It took another ten minutes to get to the edge of the reserve.

"Ah, our welcoming party is here,' Brady said.

A man was walking toward them, and he looked very familiar to Hermione. In fact, it only took a mere moment before Hermione recognized the ginger-headed wizard. It was Ron's brother, Charlie.

"Hermione?" Charlie asked, looking over Brady's shoulder towards Hermione, as he walked up toward them.

"Charlie!" Hermione said, "I should have realized I'd see you here."

"You two know each other?" Brady asked.

"My youngest brother, Ron, is her boyfriend," Charlie said, "Or fiancee, I guess I should say."

"Engaged," Brady said softly, though enough for Hermione to hear him, "The ring. I should have guessed."

Hermione ignored Brady and looked at Charlie.

"So nice to see you, Charlie!" she said to him.

"How long have you been working with Brady?" Charlie asked.

"Just started this morning," Hermione said, "This is the first thing I got assigned to."

"Brilliant!" Charlie said, "I guess we should start, Brady."

"Huh?" Brady asked, still obviously gobsmacked at the revelation with Hermione, "Oh yeah. Er... guess I should ask the obvious question first. Have you found the dragon yet?"

"Yes," Charlie said, grinning, "We found him resting beside one of the larger lakes in Romania. It was closed due to recent flooding, so no Muggles were there. Thank Merlin for that."

"Indeed," Brady said, "It would have added more unwanted trouble. At least you found it, that could lessen any issues the Romanian Ministry of Magic have with you."

"I thought the Romanian Minister of Magic had no problems with the dragons," Hermione said.

"He doesn't, Hermione," Charlie said, "Unfortunately for us, the Minister actually has no say in this."

"It is the bloody Romanian Wizengamot," Brady said, "In my few months of law, I have never had more trouble with anyone than I've had with the Romanians."

"Yes," Charlie said, "We here at the Surejan Dragon Reserve feel it is very lucky that we are under British jurisdiction."

"So wouldn't that mean," Hermione said, "that it would be the British Wizengamot you'd have to deal with?"

Charlie and Brady shook their heads.

"No, Hermione," Brady said, "The British may own the reserve, but everything outside of the reserve is Romanian property."

"Including the small village and castle the dragon attacked," Charlie said.

"Next question, Charlie," Brady said. "Has anyone from the Romanian Ministry of Magic visited the reservation yet?"

"Not yet," Charlie said, "But we received a letter, not thirty minutes ago, that a couple of representatives would be arriving soon."

"Wonderful," Brady said, "As the lawyer assigned to this case, I am going to have to be here and speak with them."

Brady turned to Hermione, though she could tell he was still avoiding too much eye contact.

"I'm sure you need a rest after the hike," he said. "I'm not going to need you until the Romanians get here, so you can rest up."

"Better yet, Hermione," Charlie said, "How about I take you on a tour of our reserve? That is if Brady doesn't need me for anything."

"I just need to look at that dragon," Brady said, "But I'm sure I can find it myself."

"It is in section F," Charlie said, "Tell the two men there I said it was okay to go there. The dragon is under pretty high security right now. We're trying to let it calm down. We don't want it having too big of a fuss when the Romanians come."

"That is probably for the best," Brady said, "Enjoy the tour, Hermione."

Before Hermione could reply, Brady walked away.

"That young man seems to have taken a liking to you already, Hermione," Charlie said, as he watched Brady walk toward the enclosed sections, "More than just as a co-worker, I mean.. I take it you hadn't told him about Ron."

"I was going to," Hermione said, "But he kept interrupting me. I feel really bad."

"Oh, you shouldn't take it too badly," Charlie said, "Even if you weren't with Ron, it usually isn't a good idea to pair up with a fellow co-worker. Believe me, I've had my fair share of those experiences. Oh... don't tell Ron that. I think he is under the impression I am.. as the phrase goes... married to my work."

Charlie chuckled, and Hermione laughed as well.

"So how are you and Ron doing?" Charlie asked, "If you don't mind me asking."

"Pretty well, I think," Hermione said, "A rough patch here and there, but every couple has that."

"Well, let me say that I hope it works out with both of you," Charlie said, "You'd be a welcome addition to our family, Hermione, if I do say so myself."

"Thanks," Hermione said, blushing.

"Well, what do you say we get on with the tour?" Charlie asked, "We can visit Norberta first. She's closest to us. Perhaps she'll remember you after all these years. You did help her get here."

Hermione nodded, and followed Charlie toward section A.

"The dragons are separated in sections," Charlie said, "Every letter of the alphabet represents a section here."

"I thought the dragons would be together in herds," Hermione said.

"Most of the time they are too territorial for that," Charlie said, "Sometimes we are lucky to get a couple to become mates and they can pair up together. But even that becomes a problem. We don't have very many female dragons around here. Mating season can be very dangerous, let me tell you."

Hermione didn't know whether to laugh at that or not, but she was saved any response when Charlie announced that they had arrived at section A. Hermione had expected the sections to be enclosures or cages, but she was standing in front of a wide open field filled with lush grass and trees. Sections of it were burnt and trees were torn up by the roots. Hermione walked closer to it, but Charlie held out a hand, stopping her.

"Trust me," Charlie said, "You don't want to get any closer yet."

"Why?" Hermione asked.

Charlie just smiled. He kneeled down and picked up a small stone, then threw it toward the field. Suddenly, a spark came out of nowhere, and the rock turned into dust.

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed.

"We want the dragons to feel at home," Charlie explained, "that is why they are in open fields and not enclosures. But we don't want them to escape. So we have to keep – for want of a better term – force-fields around the sections. They are invisible, of course, so it gives the dragons that illusion of freedom."

"That is sort of barbaric," Hermione said, "Has anyone ever walked into one of these force-fields?"

"Nothing ever comes without a price, Hermione," Charlie said, a hint of a smile in his lips, "Fortunately the force-fields are almost harmless. Just enough power to scare the dragon back from them. Basically to a human it is like being hit with a stunning spell."

"So how did the dragon escape from its section?" Hermione asked.

"We're still trying to figure that one out," Charlie said.

"Do you think someone let it out?" Hermione asked.

"That's a possibility," Charlie said, "But that would mean we have a leak in the reserve, which is not possible. I trust every one here at the reserve."

"Is it possible someone came into the reserve without your knowledge and let the dragon out?" Hermione asked.

"Not highly likely," Charlie said, shaking his head. "This place cannot be apparated into or out of, as you already know, since you had to hike here. As for the Floo Network, there is one fireplace here, but it is highly secured and only used for emergency purposes. Most of the time, the only way it is connected to the Floo Network is for direct conversation, and not as a means of travel. It is much faster than Owl Post and, when you are working with one of the most unpredictable creatures in the world, it is very nice to have."

Hermione was about to respond, but was interrupted by a very loud roar.

"Ah, I think Norberta is coming now," Charlie said.

Hermione strained her eyes to look around for the dragon. Then, suddenly, she saw something large in the sky in the distance. Without warning, the large dragon dove from the sky and landed a few yards in front of Charlie and Hermione. Hermione almost screamed, but stopped herself. Norberta looked a lot different than Hermione remembered her as a baby, but she could still recognize her a bit. Norberta was as large as a house and half as long as a Quidditch Pitch.

"One of Norberta's favorite tricks," Charlie said, "The swan dive."

Hermione watched Norberta's eyes, as she looked back and forth from Charlie to Hermione. Then the dragon's eyes rested on Hermione.

"She recognizes me," Hermione said, breathlessly, "Doesn't she?"

"Told you she might," Charlie said, grinning.

He walked forward toward the edge of the force-field.

"How are you, big girl?" Charlie asked the dragon.

Hermione heard a soft purr resonate from Norberta's throat. Charlie turned to Hermione.

"Come forward," he said.

"Er... I don't know," Hermione said, timidly.

"You're perfectly safe," Charlie said, "Do you think I'd let a future Weasley get hurt?"

Hermione blushed at the words "future Weasley" and walked forward, though slowly. Norberta purred softly once again.

"She's saying hello," Charlie said.

"Hi Norberta," Hermione said, "It's been a long time."

Norberta purred once again, then without warning she let out a large roar and backed up. Charlie stood in front of Hermione, guarding her.

"What's wrong, girl?" Charlie asked the dragon.

Hermione looked at Norberta's eyes. They seemed to be looking past her. Hermione turned around. In the distance, over the hill she and Brady had walked over earlier, she could see a large plume of smoke.

"I think I know what is bothering Norberta," Hermione said, nudging Charlie, who was trying to calm down the great dragon.

Charlie turned around.

"What in Merlin's name?" he growled.

"Is that from one of your dragons?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know," Charlie said, "Come on!"

Charlie ran forward, heading toward a large group of buildings, and Hermione followed. Brady and a group of wizards and witches met them at the nearest building. The sign on the building read "Security".

"What is the meaning of this, Mr. Weasley?" Brady asked Charlie, as he pointed toward the plume of smoke.

Hermione looked up at the smoke which was getting darker and more massive.

"Pascal!" Charlie said, yelling into the group of wizards, "Head count!"

"All dragons are accounted for, Charlie," Pascal said, "I only finished checking them just a few minutes ago."

"Forest fire?" Hermione asked.

"The forest around here is magically protected from fire," Charlie said.

"Could it be the Romanians?" Brady said, "Could be some kind of signal. Romanians are known for making an entrance."

"I have a strange feeling," Charlie said.

"Charlie, I would like some answers!" Brady asked.

Charlie ignored Brady.

"Okay," he said, "Basil, take our guests into the security building! Make sure no harm comes to them."

"Harm?" Hermione choked.

"Yes, sir!" Basil said, "Come on, sir, miss."

Hermione and Brady walked into the Security building. As she walked in, she heard Charlie talking to Basil.

"What's going on, Charlie?" Basil asked.

"Red alert," Charlie said.

"Sir?" Basil asked.

"You heard me," Charlie said. "You know what to do."

"Y-yes, sir!" Basil said.

"Remember what I said, Basil," Charlie said, "If any harm..."

"You have nothing to worry about Charlie," Basil said.

Basil walked into the office, and Hermione saw Charlie and the large group of wizards and witches head off toward the smoke.

"What is a red alert?" Hermione asked.

"Red Alert," Basil asked, as if reciting something he had read, "Dragon reserve under attack. Contact the home Ministry of Magic, in this case, Britain, and request immediate help."

"Under attack?" Brady asked, "Preposterous."

"Did you not see that smoke, Brady?" Hermione asked.

Brady seemed to ignore Hermione as he sunk into a chair. Basil walked over to the fireplace on the other side of the room. He picked up a paper bag and knelt down in front of the fire. He stuck his hand in the paper bag and then threw a handful of green Floo Powder into the fire.

"Britain Ministry of Magic, Auror Office," Basil said.

Hermione watched as Basil stuck his head into the fire. She was reminded of when Harry had done the same thing back in her fifth year to talk to the house-elf, Kreacher. A few moments later, Basil backed away from the fire.

"Blast!" he groaned, "Where could they be?"

"Nobody is there?" Brady asked, "You're serious? Perfect. Now what do we do?"

"I have an idea," Hermione said, walking over to the fireplace.

"What are you going to do?" Basil asked.

"Call someone I can trust," Hermione said, as she grabbed a handful of Floo Powder, and knelt toward the fireplace.

**Cliffhanger! I think it is probably obvious who Hermione is going to contact, don't you? I decided to end this chapter now, cause the rest of what I had planned would take quite a bit, and this would be a long chapter. So it will take place next chapter!**

**Hope you liked this chapter! Feedback would be great!**

**P.S. How did you like the Deathly Hallows Part 2 movie? I haven't seen it yet, but I'll see it soon, probably two days from when this was posted. It'll be awesome! **

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	36. Red Alert

**Chapter 36  
****Red Alert**

**Author's Note: So I saw Deathly Hallows Part 2! Amazing movie! Look for my review at the end of this chapter! I'll say this right now though. I loved all the Ron/Hermione moments! So cute! This chapter starts a few minutes before the last chapter ended.**

**(Ron's PoV)**

Ron and Harry were taking a well-deserved break in the locker room after a thoroughly difficult morning. Allison was so impressed by their rumble with the robot, and she wanted to see if they could do more. She had discovered how talented they were on brooms, and the next challenge she assigned them was to duel each other in mid-air while on broomsticks. Ron and Harry flew around the training room and sent spells back and forth to each other for a good ten minutes before a well-aimed spell by Harry made Ron lose control of his broomstick and he was sent crashing into the ground. Ron wasn't badly injured but he was sure he'd have bruises the next morning.

"Mad, that woman is," Ron muttered, taking a large gulp from his bottle of butterbeer, "And to think... I thought she was rather attractive at first."

"I believe there is a common phrase for that," Harry said, grinning, "You can't judge a book by its cover."

"You sound like Hermione," Ron said, "We're talking about women here, not books."

"That is not what I meant," Harry said, "I – oh, nevermind. But I'll say this for Allison, she's a whole lot better than Shippe."

"Better?" Ron asked, "She's completely mental. Setting that metal piece of junk on us? Making us duel each other on broomsticks? She's going to kill us before we become Aurors... yeah, Harry, she's a lot better than Shippe!"

"I just meant that she isn't a bleeding traitor," Harry said.

"I'm glad you think so," a voice said.

Harry and Ron turned. Allison was standing at the end of the row of lockers.

"Like I said earlier," Allison said, as she walked toward Ron and Harry. "I am very impressed with the both of you. You outrank everyone of your peers and even Aurors who have been in the field for years. I read your file, Mr. Potter. You could be an Auror already, but you enlisted in the training program. Why is that?"

"Maybe I wanted to prove to myself that I am as impressive as you think I am," Harry said.

Allison laughed, mirthlessly.

"I seriously doubt that, Mr. Potter," she said, "You won the Triwizard Tournament. You defeated the most powerful Dark Lord the world has ever known. Is that not impressive to you?"

Ron had to admit. Allison had a good point. She knew what she was talking about.

"No, Mr. Potter," Allison said, "I think I know why you joined the training program. Your best friend, Mr. Weasley here, enlisted the same day as you."

"What is wrong with that?" Ron asked.

"You are probably wondering, Ron," Allison said, "Why I put you and Harry against each other on broomsticks earlier. Is that right?"

"It was on my mind," Ron said, shrugging.

"I put you two against each other," Allison said, "Because I feel like you two seem to be trying to help each other through the training program. You two seem to be inseperable."

"You said it earlier," Harry asked, "We're best friends."

"That may be," Allison said, "But sometimes that could be a bad thing. You two are limiting yourselves. You are not proving just how great an Auror you can become."

"What happened to us being impressive?" Ron asked.

"You're impressive as a pair," Allison asked, "But I haven't had a chance to see how impressive you are while you are not assisting each other. So, starting tomorrow, I am assigning both of you to different training partners. Only then can I see your true potential as future Aurors. I'm sure this has come to some shock for you, so you two can have the rest of the day off to prepare."

Allison smiled, turned around and walked back down the aisle.

"She's mental!" Ron said, "She can't do this!"

"She's our trainer, Ron," Harry said, "I think she can. Besides, I have a feeling this is only temporary."

"Temporary?" Ron asked.

"Until now, we haven't been told what our test is for this month," Harry said, "Allison did say we were the most impressive out of everyone in the program. So we have a different test than everyone else."

"So you think Allison is testing us?" Ron asked.

Before Harry could speak, he was interrupted by a distant voice.

"Hello?" a very familiar voice said, "Is anyone there?"

Harry and Ron turned.

"Is that Hermione?" Harry asked.

"I think so," Ron said, jumping up.

Before Harry could say anything more, Ron was running toward the direction of Hermione's voice. Before long, he found himself at the fireplace. Hermione's head was in the roaring fire.

"Ron!" Hermione said, "Thank goodness."

"Hermione?" Ron asked, as he heard Harry's footsteps behind him, "What's wrong?"

"I'm at the Surejan Dragon Reserve," Hermione said, "I think we're under attack! There's smoke coming from over the hill."

"What can we do?" Harry asked.

"We need help," Hermione said, "We tried to contact the Auror office, but nobody answered."

"We should tell Allison," Harry said.

"Are you mad?" Ron asked, "I don't trust her enough for this."

"What are you going to do then?" Hermione asked, "Because it needs to be quick."

"Harry and I will go," Ron said.

"I can't ask you to skip your training," Hermione said.

"We were given the rest of the day off," Harry said, "I agree with Ron. We'll go, Hermione."

"Okay," Hermione said, "But hurry!"

Hermione's head disappeared from the fire.

"Do you think we should Apparate?" Harry asked.

"It'll take too long to get to the Apparation-Safe area in the Atrium," Ron said, "Besides, the Surejan Dragon Reserve is where Charlie works, and he told me you can't apparate into the Reserve. We'll have to take the Floo Network. It should be open since Hermione was able to use it to contact us. I'll go first."

Before Harry could reply, Ron grabbed the bag of Floo Powder from on top of the fireplace, grabbed a handful of the powder, and walked into the fireplace.

"Surejan Dragon Reserve!" Ron said, clearly.

Ron closed his eyes as he was lifted off of his feet. After half-a-minute of spinning and twisting, he landed on solid ground. He opened his eyes and walked into the dust and debris. When the dust cleared, he saw Hermione standing in a small room with a couple of wizards. One was looking through a window, while the other was sitting in a chair, looking absolutely terrified.

"Harry will be here in a moment," Ron said.

"Harry?" the man in the chair asked, "Harry Potter? Oh thank Merlin, we're saved."

"Who are you?" Ron asked the man.

"This is Brady, Ron," Hermione said, "My boss."

"Interesting bloke," Ron muttered, low enough for only Hermione to hear.

Hermione cleared her throat.

"Brady," she said, "This is Ron, my fiancee."

"Pleasure to meet you," Brady said, though he did not look at either Ron or Hermione.

Suddenly, the window behind Ron and Hermione exploded. Without hesitation, Ron pulled Hermione onto the ground, narrowly dodging the shards of glass flying around them. Before Ron could look up to see what had happened, he was surrounded by a plume of dust and debris.

"Hello?" Harry's voice came out from near the fireplace, "Ron? Hermione? Where are you?"

"Harry!" Ron said, "Get down!"

A moment later, Ron heard a brief thud and Harry was crawling over toward him and Hermione.

"What in the bloody hell is going on?" he asked.

"A window just exploded!" Ron said, "I haven't had the chance yet to see what else is going on."

"Oh no!" Hermione moaned.

Ron immediately turned around. Hermione was kneeling over the man who had been standing by the window. Several deep cuts along the man's face and body told Ron that the man was now deceased.

"Do you know his name?" Ron asked.

"Basil," Hermione said, softly, "He was one of the security here. He was ordered to look after Brady and I."

The dust and debris cleared and Ron walked over to the window. He peered out of it. In the distance he saw green and red spells flying toward a large group of witches and wizards who were running toward the buildings. No – not running – fleeing. Hermione and Harry stood next to Ron and looked out the window.

"Oh no," Hermione moaned again, "Those are the dragon trainers who were headed over the hill towards the smoke.

"Looks like they met up with some opposition," Ron said.

Suddenly, Ron noticed a very familiar ginger-haired wizard exchanging spells with his pursuers.

"Charlie," he muttered.

Without hesitation, Ron ran for the door, ignoring Hermione and Harry as they called out his name. He ran out the door and headed through a group of wizards who were trying to head for safety.

"Protect the dragons!" one wizard said, "They're after the dragons!"

"Forget the dragons!" a panicky witch yelled, "Save yourselves!"

Ron ignored the screaming and yelling. He was only focused on getting to his brother.

"You – will – not – take – the – dragons!" Charlie bellowed, each word separated by another spell he cast at the incoming opposition.

Only a brave few had stayed with Charlie to help hold off the enemy. Now that Ron had gotten a good look at the opposition, it seemed there were at least three dozen of them, outnumbering the force that were trying to hold them off by at least two-to-one.

"Protego!" Ron yelled, pointing his wand toward Charlie, as a number of spells headed his way.

To Ron's surprise, the shield was more powerful than he intended: the spell had actually forced a number of the opposition to stumble back onto the ground. When Harry and Hermione joined by his side, he realized what had happened. All three of them had done the same spell, combining the force.

"Ron?" Charlie asked, turning around momentarily to see where the spells had come from, "What are you doing here?"

"Hermione contacted us through the Floo Network," Ron said, "Said you had a bit of trouble on your hands. Harry and I came to help."

"It's Potter!" a wizard on the opposing side bellowed.

Suddenly, the opposing side had stopped running toward them, and this caught Ron off guard. What had stopped them?

"Well?" a witch said in the group, "Let's nab him! He'd be an added bonus to our treasure!"

"No!" bellowed the wizard who recognized Harry, "You know our orders. Retreat at once!"

One by one, the opposing witches and wizards all disappeared with resounding cracks of Apparation.

"What the bloody hell?" Ron asked, "Where did they go?"

"They must have disabled the Apparation barriers," Charlie said, "But the question isn't where, Ron, it is why did they go? They outnumbered us greatly. They could have taken us all down and kidnapped the dragons easily."

"Harry," Hermione said.

"What?" Harry asked.

"No," Hermione said, "They mentioned you, Harry. Something about orders. It was like you weren't part of their plan."

"That hag seemed eager to nab him," Ron said.

"Then why didn't she try?" Harry asked, "Charlie said it. They could have taken you all down."

"I think they weren't prepared for that," Hermione said.

"Well, then," Charlie said, "You scared them off, Harry. If you didn't, we wouldn't have had a chance. Thanks for that."

Hermione still seemed doubtful.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," Charlie said, "I need to round up my crew and make sure the dragons are all safe. Hermione, I think you better make sure your boss is okay. He seemed out of his wits when I saw him last."

"I'm glad you think of me so greatly," Brady muttered behind them, causing everyone to turn. "I see you scared them off. Nice one."

"Yes, well, I better get going," Charlie said.

Charlie seemed eager to avoid Brady, and Ron was beginning to agree with him. There was something about Brady he didn't like. In fact, if Ron wasn't seeing things, Brady seemed to be looking back and forth between him and Hermione.

"Well, Hermione," Brady said, "It doesn't seem as if the Romanian Ministry of Magic were even going to come today. It seems those... whoever they were... were the ones who sent the letter announcing the arrival of the Romanians. I'm going to finish up here, but I think it'd be all right if you had the rest of the day off."

"Are you sure, Brady?" Hermione asked.

"You've done enough for today," Brady said, "See you tomorrow."

Brady walked away, without another word.

"Nice bloke," Ron commented.

Ron noticed that Hermione looked rather distraught about something.

"Is something wrong?" he asked her.

"No," Hermione said, shaking her head, then sighed, "Maybe. I don't know... I'll tell you later."

"Well, I think we need an early lunch after this," Harry said, "My house. I'll even make something myself."

"You can cook?" Ron asked, skeptically.

"Your sister had the same exact reaction the first time she caught me cooking," Harry said, grinning, "Come on. We should go before the apparation barrier closes again."

Ron took Hermione and Harry's hands and all three apparated to Harry's house at the same time.

"Ginny's probably going to be training late," Harry said, as he led Ron and Hermione into the house, "Big game on Saturday."

"That's right," Ron said, "Puddlemere United, I almost forgot."

Ron followed Hermione and Harry into the small kitchen. Harry started cooking up something that, in his words, was going to be a "surprise". Ron and Hermione sat at the table, and Ron couldn't help but notice that Hermione looked awfully distracted. Hermione caught his glance and shook her head. Ron took that as "I don't want to talk about it around Harry." The problem was... Ron didn't know exactly what Hermione was not wanting to talk about.

"So what do you think those evil blokes wanted with the dragons?" Harry asked, as he turned on the stove.

"Probably planning on using them in a future attack," Ron said, "We can't ignore the possibility of an attack now."

"We can't," Hermione said, "But I'm sure the Ministry will. You wait and see, there will be nothing about this in the Daily Prophet tomorrow."

"I wouldn't be surprised if your friend, Brady, is being hounded not to say anything as we speak," Harry said.

Hermione nodded but said nothing. Harry set a frying pan on the stove and put something in it. Ron heard the sound of grease bubbling and cracking in the pan. Harry sighed and turned to Ron and Hermione, temporarily ignoring the pan.

"So are we just going to ignore the fact that my name was brought up by some evil blokes?" he asked, his voice a little louder than normal, "And that somewhere along the line, their plan is to kidnap me?"

"Harry," Hermione said, sighing.

"What, Hermione?" Harry asked, his temper rising, "You expect me to not say anything about it? Apparently I'm the target once again for a group of wizards who looked like they could rival the Death Eaters, and are probably planning some kind of attack that we know nothing about! Do you think I should just ignore that?"

"Of course not, Harry!" Hermione cried, "I wasn't saying that."

"You weren't saying anything," Harry said, "That's the problem."

"Don't you have a go at her!" Ron snarled.

"No, Ron," Hermione said, reaching a hand over to Ron's and covering it, which calmed down Ron greatly, "He's right. We shouldn't ignore this. We learned some troubling news today. You're still a target, Harry, even after the fact that Voldemort is gone. Now we just have to find out who they were."

"Can't the Auror department do that?" Ron asked, "We have enough on our plates at the moment."

"I don't think so, Ron," Hermione said, "If we tell the Ministry about this, they'll probably accuse us of rumor-mongering."

"They can't do that!" Ron said, "Not with the witnesses we have. My brother, Charlie, for one."

"That's just it, Ron," Hermione said, "The Ministry will end up with some half-baked theory that we are starting rumors, and have brought Charlie into it as well. Even if we bring in Charlie's co-workers as witnesses, the Ministry will end up saying that we made Charlie tell his co-workers to say what we want them to say."

"That's completely rubbish!" Ron said.

"She's right, Ron," Harry said, "If we brought it up, we'd probably be in trouble, even if it is true. We don't need anymore trouble than what we are already dealing with at the Ministry already."

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked, looking from Harry to Ron.

"Our trainer decided to split us up," Ron said, "We're not training partners anymore."

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"Apparently," Harry said, "Allison has translated 'best friends as partners' into 'helping each other get through the training program'."

"Basically she thinks we're cheating," Ron said.

Hermione only grinned, which surprised Ron.

"What's that?" Ron asked, pointing to the grin, "You think Allison is right, don't you?""

"Have you forgotten how much time I spent with you in classes at Hogwarts?" Hermione asked, "I know you cheat."

"That's different," Ron said, "Harry's not the best person to copy answers off of. You are."

"Thanks for that, mate," Harry said, sarcastically, returning back to the frying pan.

Hermione gave Ron a look that clearly said "you deserved that." Ron didn't know how to respond, so he said the only thing he could think of.

"So, what's for lunch?" he asked.

Ron and Hermione returned home a couple hours after their lunch with Harry (which turned out to be breakfast food, much to Ron's confusion. Breakfast for lunch?). When they arrived, an owl was perched on the windowsill in the living room. Hermione took the scroll of parchment from the owl, and the owl flew off. She opened it, and read silently. Ron just watched her eyes, wondering what she was reading.

"It's from Brady," Hermione said. "It seems the Romanian Wizengamot and our Wizengamot are quarreling over who has the rights for homeland advantage in the escaped dragon case. It looks like the Britain Wizengamot gets the case, but the Romanians will have half of their Wizengamot join ours. Brady's on the defense, so I'll have to be there, I guess. It takes place next Monday."

"Sounds exciting," Ron said.

Hermione nodded.

"Speaking of Brady," Ron said, "Are you going to tell me what was bothering you about him earlier?"

"It's not too bad," Hermione said. "Please don't overreact when I tell you, okay?"

"I'll try," Ron said, slowly.

"I think Brady was trying to flirt with me today," Hermione said.

She paused for a moment, as if checking Ron's reaction.

"Go on," Ron said.

"It's nothing really," Hermione continued, "We were hiking in a mountain range for two hours, just to get to the reserve. Well, he kept trying to help me over fallen tree logs and stuff like that, and kept giving me these glances. I tried to tell him about... you know, you and me... but something always seemed to interrupt us. Finally, it was brought up, except it was Charlie who brought it up. Brady's acted different ever since he found out."

Ron grinned, and Hermione raised her eyebrows, which only made Ron grin more.

"What?" Hermione demanded, "Tell me what you're thinking!"

"I'm not the least surprised that Brady has a crush on you," Ron said, "I'd be offended if he didn't!"

"You're kidding," Hermione said.

"Look at you," Ron said, "Your absolutely beautiful. It'd be mental for anyone who just met you not to fancy you."

Hermione blushed.

"So, you mean you're not jealous?" she asked, "Or mad?"

"No!" Ron laughed, "Why should I be?"

"I don't know," Hermione said, "It's just you. You're known to... react and get jealous like that. Krum, for example. I know how jealous you were during the Yule Ball. Of course, then, I thought it was for different reasons."

Ron laughed again.

"Hermione, that was when you weren't my girlfriend or fiancee," he said, "Back then I thought I lost you, and that is why I was jealous. I have no reason to be jealous now."

Without warning, Hermione pounced on Ron and kissed him fully on the lips.

"And what was that for?" Ron asked, grinning.

"I'm so relieved," Hermione said, "I was afraid to tell you cause I thought for sure you'd be mad at me."

"Actually, I'd feel very bad if I got mad at you for that," Ron said.

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"I'm kind of guilty of the same thing," Ron said, "I think Allison's been trying to flirt with me."

"Your new trainer?" Hermione asked, then smirked, "Is she cute?"

"I've seen cuter," Ron said, grinning.

Hermione kissed Ron again.

"Good answer," she said.

-  
**Weird place to finish, but I thought it was okay. Wow, as I was writing this, I was thinking... I have a long ways to go with my story... I want to end it sometime around the start of the new year (in the story), and with perhaps some epilogue chapters months later... and it is only the second week of September in my story. This could take forever!**

**Anyway, hope you liked the chapter! Reviews would be wonderful!**

**Oh yes, my Deathly Hallows Part 2 review.**

**Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 - 9.7/10**

**I need to see it again before I go into too much detail, but here we go:**

**An epic finale. Loved just about every bit of it and my complaints are too minor to be too important. Prince's Tale was amazaing, Snape's death was chilling, King's Cross was BRILLIANT, Aberforth's Tale was wonderful, Epilogue was cute, and I loved Ron and Hermione's kiss in the Chamber of Secrets.**

**The only two things I have complaints about at the moment are:**  
**1) The Gray Lady... while I loved the dialogue in the scene, her floating around everywhere was so very much distracting.**  
**2) The 19 Years Later text... I wish it had more of a Harry Potter font to it... I basically raised my eyebrows at it. It looked weird. I know it is weird for me to hate this, but... I dunno, I guess I just do.**

**Overall, brilliant film, great acting all around, simply gorgeous visual effects and Cinematography.**


	37. The Danger Room

**Chapter 37  
****The Danger Room**

**(Ron's PoV)**

When Ron woke up the next morning, Hermione's side of the bed was empty. Ron dressed and readied himself for what was sure to be an unpredictable day: he would be starting training with a new partner instead of Harry, as assigned by Allison Fawning.

He hoped it would be temporary, as Harry said. He hoped this was just a test Allison was giving him and Harry and that it wasn't permanent. Allison didn't understand the friendship between Ron and Harry. She couldn't read about something like that in her precious folders she had concerning every one of the Aurors-in-training. No folder could possibly sum up the seven-plus years of unyielding friendship between Ron and Harry. No high-and-mighty trainer could ever split Ron and Harry up, and Ron would prove it if it was the last thing he did while enlisted in Auror training.

He knew things Allison didn't. Allison seemed to think that Harry was helping Ron coast through Auror training. Ron, however, knew he and Harry were strong on their own, and even stronger together.

Ron looked at himself in the mirror. He almost didn't recognize himself. He had grown a bit rugged and needed a shave, but he knew Hermione wouldn't allow this. She liked seeing stubble on Ron's chin, ever since she had given him some for his transformation during the Gringotts Heist, while on the hunt for the Horcruxes. At the time, Ron had complained about the stubble, but over time he realized it seemed to be a turn-on for Hermione.

Ron finished up and headed into the kitchen. Breakfast, french toast by the delicious smell of it, was fixing itself on the stove. Hermione was sitting at the table, her face hidden behind the new edition of the Daily Prophet. Ron sat down at the table, and cleared his throat.

"It's awfully rude to interrupt someone when they are reading the morning paper," Hermione said, though she was smiling when she set the paper on the table.

"Anything of interest?" Ron asked, pointing to the paper.

"No mention of the attack at your brother's reserve," Hermione said, "As we predicted."

"As _you _predicted," Ron corrected her.

Hermione smiled, then frowned as she looked down at the paper.

"There is an article about the dragon escape case for next Monday though," she said.

"Well, at least they allow some things to be in the paper still," Ron said.

"I'm not too sure that is a good thing," Hermione said. "The article really hinted at making the Romanian Ministry of Magic look bad. They said the Romanians ordered their Wizengamot to join ours so our Wizengamot wouldn't cheat on the case. I don't believe that at all."

"What do you think they are doing?" Ron asked.

"I think this is the new direction the Public Security Department is focusing on," Hermione said. "Give the public some ridiculous story like this. Ridiculous but it could be believable if you didn't know any better. That way, the public will focus on this new story and the Public Security Department wouldn't have to worry about news of this new threat getting out."

"Doesn't sound too mental, if you ask me," Ron said, shrugging, "Hey, speaking of your case... I really hope it just lasts a day."

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"Well," Ron said, "Your birthday... isn't it the day after the case?"

"Yes," Hermione blushed, "You remembered my birthday?"

"How could I forget?" Ron asked, grinning, "I hope you can get the day off. I might be able to get the day off myself."

"I'm sure Brady will allow that," Hermione said, "Since it is my birthday. Why? Have you planned something?"

"Of course I have!" Ron said, "But I'm not going to tell you yet. It is a surprise."

Ron was completely honest. He had planned something. Before he and Hermione left Harry's house the previous day, Ron wrote a note for Ginny, and left it to Harry to give it to her. Now he was just waiting for her response. Without it, he was sure his plan wouldn't work, and he would have to think of something else.

"Oh, I hope it is good," Hermione said, grinning.

"You aren't even going to try to get me to reveal my plan?" Ron asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Oh, I could if I wanted to," Hermione said, "I know you can't resist my charm."

"I thought it was _you_ who couldn't resist _my _charm," Ron said.

Hermione only smiled, and proceeded to serve the french toast.

When Ron arrived at the entrance to the Auror training facility, Harry was waiting for him.

"Good morning, mate!" he said.

"You sound strangely happy," Ron said.

Harry shrugged.

"Oh, before I forget," he said, "I gave Ginny your letter, and she wrote back."

Harry dug into his pockets and pulled out a small roll of parchment, and handed it to Ron. Ron unrolled the parchment and read it:

_Ron,_

_Good idea! Did you think about that on your own? I'm kind of surprised. Just kidding, it is a wonderful plan for Hermione's birthday. But I thought Hermione had a fear of heights? Aw well, I'm sure you'll figure something out._

_I'll ask Gwenog and see if I can get you and Hermione access on Tuesday. Look for Harry's owl tonight!_

_Good luck!_  
_Ginny_

Ron kicked himself mentally as he looked at the letter. He had forgotten about Hermione's fear of heights and distrust on a broomstick. Ron shrugged to himself; he'd worry about that when the day came.

"Thanks mate," he said to Harry.

"Something to do with Hermione's birthday?" Harry asked, grinning, "That was fast. A few days ago, you didn't even remember her birthday was coming."

"You read my letter," Ron accused.

"No, mate, not at all," Harry said, holding up his hands in surrender.

"Then how did you find out?" Ron asked.

"You forget your sister's my fiancee?" Harry asked, "She'll tell me anything."

"You better not tell Hermione," Ron said.

"I'm hurt!" Harry said, shocked, "Do you honestly think I'd do that?"

"I guess not," Ron said, "I just don't want to ruin this surprise for Hermione."

"I'm sure she'll love it," Harry said, "Anyway, we better get going. Allison wants to see us in her office."

Ron didn't need to ask why Allison wanted to see them. He felt he already knew what this was all about. He just shrugged and followed Harry to Allison's office.

"Are you ready for this?" Harry asked Ron.

"I wish it wasn't happening," Ron said, "But I'm more than ready to prove Fawning wrong."

"That's the spirit," Harry said.

Harry tapped on the door of Allison's office. The door opened, and Ron followed Harry inside. Allison wasn't alone: two Aurors-in-training that Ron had seen frequently, but never had a desire to speak with, were standing near Allison's desk. To Ron, the two trainees reminded him of Draco's goons, Gregory Goyle, and the late Vincent Crabbe. If these two had been at Hogwarts the same time as Ron and Harry, Malfoy would have taken a liking to them even if they weren't in Slytherin.

"Good morning, boys," Allison said, with a juicy smile that Dolores Umbridge herself would have been jealous of, "I'm sure you've seen these two gentlemen around here before." Allison motioned to the two Aurors-In-Training near her. "But I'm sure you've never had the time to give formal introductions. This is Taylor Rossi and William Golding. They will be your new training partners. I'm sure I don't have to introduce you two gentlemen to these two."

"Harry Potter," Golding said, walking over to Harry and offering his hand, "It will be a pleasure to train with you."

Harry shook it. Ron looked at Rossi. If he had his choice between the two, he would have picked Golding. Rossi seemed like the kind of guy who admired violence. Ron wouldn't have been surprised if Rossi had joined the Auror training corp just so he could curse people. He liked to think he was pretty tall, but Rossi seemed to tower over him by at least a few inches. Rossi had big, bulky arms, and probably had to wear sleeveless shirts just to get by. Ron was sure Rossi was part troll, or had a giant for a distant relative.

"I'm sorry," Rossi grunted at Ron, "I don't know your name."

_Of course, _Ron thought, _they recognize the Hero of the Second War, but not his best mate who was right there with him._

"Er... Ron Weasley," he said, "Nice to meet you."

Ron extended his hand.

"Taylor Rossi," Taylor grunted.

Taylor took Ron's hand, and Ron flinched at the power of his grip. Ron let go of Taylor's hand, in fear that it would get crushed by his strength.

"Wonderful!" Allison said to the four of them, "I'm sure you and your training partner will quickly become good friends."

Ron did his best to hold back a snort. He didn't see how he could become good friends with Rossi.

"I'll give you a little time to change and get to know each other," Allison said, "Then I want the four of you in Training Room D."

Ron and Harry looked at each other with raised eyebrows. Training Room D, otherwise known as the Danger Room, was strictly for the most advanced trainees. Ron knew he and Harry could be classified as advanced, but he knew nothing about the ability of Rossi and Golding.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked.

"Quite sure," Allison said, smiling, "You may go. Pip pip."

Ron, Harry, Rossi and Golding walked out of the office and headed for the locker room.

"Training Room D," Rossi grunted, "What is it?"

"You've never heard of it?" Harry asked.

Rossi and Golding shook their heads. Ron groaned silently. His new training partner might as well have been a rookie, with no experience whatsoever, if he had no idea what the Danger Room was. While Harry explained to Rossi and Golding what the Danger Room was, and Ron looked at the horrified expression on the face of his new partner, he thought back to the first, and only, time he had been in the Danger Room.

Or tried to.

He couldn't remember much of what happened during his first session in there, owing to the fact that he had nursed a mild concussion afterward and had come home to a panicky Hermione. According to her, he had looked as if he was going to drop any moment, and he was surprised he did not. The only other time he had ever felt that way was when he came home from his mission at Azkaban.

"Danger Room," Golding said, snapping Ron out of his thoughts; Harry had finished with his explanation, "Good name for it."

"Yeah," Rossi grunted.

Ron looked at Harry, and he knew his best mate was thinking the same thing that was on his mind:

_They have no idea what they are getting into._

Ron tried to delay the inevitable as long as he could, but twenty minutes later he found himself, Harry, Rossi and Golding standing in a small room. Just beyond the door in front of them was the Danger Room. There was no way they would know what they were in for until they walked into it. Allison walked through the same door and smiled, shutting the door behind her before anyone could look through it.

"Welcome to Training Room D," Allison said, "If I read your files correctly, I believe Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley have had a little experience in this room, while Mr. Rossi and Mr. Golding have not. Is that correct?"

Ron and the others nodded.

"Perfect!" Allison said, "This will work out nicely then. One partner has experience, one partner does not. It will even things out, I think. Now, I bet all of you are wondering what you will be doing, is that right?"

"Fighting bad guys?" Rossi grunted.

"You could say that," Allison nodded. "Technically, you are right. While one pair is hiding, the other pair will search for them. I believe the Muggles call it 'Hide and Seek.' Then you will switch sides. Except this will be different than a mere children's game. When you find your target, you have to make sure they can't run away."

"How?" Golding asked.

"Oh, I think you can figure that one out," Allison said, smiling, "Follow me."

Allison opened the door behind her again and walked through it. Rossi and Golding walked through it, then Harry and Ron did the same. What Ron saw. he could not believe.

The room had been transformed to look exactly like a common city block, complete with sky scrapes, parked cars, trucks and double-deckers, and (Ron had to do a double-take to make sure he wasn't seeing things) citizens walking down the sidewalks. Even though the room was deep below the surface of the earth, the illusion of a bright blue sky rose high over the sky-scrapers. Like the Great Hall at Hogwarts, it was as if the room had no ceiling at all, but opened up into the heavens.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Allison asked.

"Uh-huh," Rossi said, his mouth hanging wide-open as he marveled at the sight in front of him.

"As an Auror," Allison said, "You will be dealing with every type of environment imaginable. Given that we live in, and around, the capital of England, we have to deal with environments like the one behind me more often than not."

She started pacing back and forth in long strides, looking at each of the four Aurors-in-training looking at her.

"As an enforcer of the law," she continued, "one of the oaths you will be sworn to protect is the Statute of Secrecy. More often than not, your enemy will not care about our Statute of Secrecy when running away from you. They will do anything to make sure they survive an encounter with you, even if it means endangering everyday citizens... especially Muggle citizens. The bad guys do not care if Muggles can see them casting spells like a madman. It is your job, as an Auror, to protect the safety of everyone, including Muggles, while apprehending the criminals. Is this understood?"

Ron and the others nodded.

"You will notice that there are citizens walking about out there in the environment behind me," Allison said, "As the good guys, it will be your duty to protect them, while apprehending the bad guys, who can do whatever they need to, in order to keep away from you."

"Those citizens," Harry said, "Are they real?"

"I think, Mr. Potter," Allison said, "that will be something you will have to find out on your own."

Ron's eyes widened. There was no way the Ministry would allow common citizens, especially Muggles, be a part of something as dangerous as this... was there? Ron looked at Harry. He seemed to be thinking the same exact thing.

"So," Allison said, "Mr. Potter and Mr. Golding, you two will start as the bad guys. When I say 'go', you will hide amongst the buildings, trying to stay away from Mr. Rossi and Mr. Weasley, while they try to apprehend you. You will have five minutes before they go after you. Good luck, gentlemen. You may go... now."

Ron watched as Harry and Golding walked toward the buildings. Allison waved her wand, and a large brick wall appeared a few feet behind her, blocking Harry and Golding from Ron's sight.

"Er... do Taylor and I have permission to think out a plan?" Ron asked.

"Feel free," Allison said, "Planning procedures is a basic tool to capture a criminal."

"Uh... right," Ron said.

He grinned privately. There was no better time to prove to Allison that he didn't need Harry to get through Auror training, and that he was doing just fine by himself. He turned to Rossi.

"All right," he said to Rossi, "We know the basic area of the environment. Harry and Golding could be anywhere, but I don't think we'll have to worry about them going into buildings."

"Why?" Rossi grunted.

"Most criminals do not like close combat," Ron explained, "because most of the time they are not as experienced in dueling against Aurors. Also, they would want to find a fast way to escape if Aurors had the upper hand on them, and Aurors could easily make the building Apparation-proof."

Ron briefly glanced at Allison, who looked quite impressed.

"It makes sense," Rossi said.

"Taylor, as Harry told you," Ron said, "the Danger Room is the most dangerous training room we have to deal with. Everything in this room is much more than an illusion. They may appear and disappear, but everything is solid. Do you understand?"

Rossi shrugged. Ron groaned silently. Harry must not have explained things well enough.

"Look," he said, "In the illusion training rooms, if an explosion happens, and something like a tree comes toward you, it will just go right through you and will not hurt you. The Danger Room is different. It is the closest thing to real-world situations as they come. It is here to prepare us for these situations. If there is an explosion here, and debris hits you, you will feel it, and you will get injured... or worse."

Taylor's eyes widened in fright.

A flash of memory went through Ron's mind... the last time he had been in the Danger Room. A tree falling on him, and Harry pushing him out of the way just in time, as very large branches still managed to clobber the both of them.

"Be careful out there," Ron said, another glimpse of a tree branch sweeping through his mind, "and we'll get through this."

Taylor nodded. Allison waved her wand and the brick wall disappeared.

"Your turn," she said to Ron and Rossi, "Good luck."

Before moving, Ron thought for a brief moment. He had to get to shelter before panning out his surroundings. Harry and Golding would know where he and Rossi were coming from.

"All right," he said to Rossi, "Follow me and stay close!"

Rossi nodded. To Ron, Rossi seemed the kind of guy who didn't like to be given orders. But it also seemed that fear of the Danger Room had softened the big guy. Ron knew his new training partner would listen to his every word if it meant he would get through this. Ron had to hand it to Allison: she actually knew what she was doing giving this kind of training situation to new partners. It would certainly unite or break them on the very first day.

Ron stealthily ran toward the nearest building, while Rossi imitated him. He crept toward the corner of a building, hidden from sight, but was able to look around at his surroundings. It was incredible, like he was standing in a section of London. How was he going to find Harry and Golding in this before they found him?

"Er... Ron?" Rossi said.

"What, Rossi?" Ron asked, annoyed; he didn't need Rossi interrupting his concentration.

"Do those people seem different to you?" Rossi asked, pointing to the group of citizens walking down the sidewalk in their direction.

Ron looked toward where Rossi was pointing and realized what he was talking about. The citizens seemed to be walking together in straight lines, and were facing forward, not looking anywhere else but the direction they were heading in.

"They look like they are under the Imperius Curse," Rossi said, "Don't you think so?"

"Allison wouldn't do that," Ron said, more to himself than Rossi, "Would she?"

"If these people are real," Rossi said, "And they are Muggles. That means they are not here on their own."

"Right," Ron said, "But we can't worry about that right now. We have to find Harry and Golding. Follow me and stay right behind me."

When he saw the Muggles, he knew exactly what he was going to do. He ran toward the group of Muggles and stood in the middle of them. None of the Muggles looked at him or Rossi, but Ron didn't have time to worry about that now. Nearby, he saw a line of parked cars along the street. He ran over to one of them. Rossi's footsteps behind him told him his new partner was nearby.

"Rossi," Ron said, "Go on the other side of the street behind that truck when I tell you to. Be careful."

Rossi nodded.

"Go... now," Ron said.

Rossi went in between the two cars and ran across the street. Suddenly, Ron saw a red beam of light come from behind a building down the street. It hit a jeep, a couple cars away from the truck Ron had ordered Rossi to hide behind, and the jeep exploded! Ron dived to the ground to avoid debris, and was almost hit by a flaming tire which flew over his head and landed on the sidewalk.

Ron hurried to his feet and looked around for Rossi. Miraculously, the truck he was hiding behind had not been damaged at all, and Rossi was uninjured, but shaken. Rossi ran back over to Ron.

"I'm not doing that again!" Rossi said.

"You did fine," Ron said, "In fact, you did better than fine. They gave their position away."

"You saw them?" Rossi asked.

"They are hiding behind a building just down the street," Ron said.

"What are we going to do?" Rossi asked.

"We're going to do a sneak attack," Ron said, "And I'm going to be the bait. You are going to find a back away around and arrive at that smaller building back there. I'm going to walk down there, and hopefully they will be distracted long enough."

"Can't I do that?" Rossi asked.

"Harry wouldn't be fooled if he didn't see me coming down the street," Ron said, "We know each other too well."

Rossi nodded. "Okay," he said, "You can be bait."

"Don't get lost," Ron said, "I don't want to be alone if they corner me. I'm going to need you to come up behind them if that happens. You better be there."

"I will," Rossi said, "You can count on it."

"Good," Ron said, "Go, I'll run ahead and distract them so they don't see you go around. Now!"

Rossi ran back the way they came and disappeared around a building while Ron ran ahead, making sure to stay behind cars as he did. Suddenly, another spell came barreling toward him and he ran toward the protection of the building just a few feet away before the car he was hiding behind exploded. A car door missed him by a few inches, but he heard it hit something with a sickening crunch. Ron turned around, looking at the car door, and saw a pair of feet sticking out from under it. Ron's eyes widened as he ran over to the door. He knelt down and touched one of the feet. It felt rather cold... and rather like metal instead of skin.

"The citizens," Ron muttered, "They're all robots. Of course. Just more of Allison's creations."

"Stand up, Auror!" a voice said behind him, "Drop your wand!".

Ron cursed silently. He had been so worried about the possibility of someone getting hurt, that he had forgotten his opposition had known where he was. Ron stood up, dropping his wand on the ground with a clatter. He turned around. Golding was pointing his wand at Ron. Harry was walking up behind him.

"Where's your partner?" Harry asked.

"He's..." Ron said, then paused quickly.

They didn't know Rossi had split away from him and was coming through the back way. He had to stall, and his mind went to the robot under the car door. He just nodded, motioning to the car door. Golding and Harry looked at the car door, and saw the pair of feet. Harry's eyes widened.

"You got me," Ron said, "I was too focused on my partner to go after you two."

Golding looked at Harry. "Does that mean we won?" he asked.

Ron looked at Harry, whose eyes motioned from Ron to the car door.

_Hurry up, Rossi! _Ron thought,_Where are you?_

"Keep your wand on the Auror," Harry said, "I'm going to check who is under the car door. Something doesn't smell right."

Ron's eyes followed Harry, as his best friend walked over to the car door. Any moment Harry would find out Ron was alone.

"Look at me, Auror!" Golding said.

Ron turned his attention back to Golding, then saw something moving over his shoulder. Rossi was hiding behind a car. Ron heard Harry move the car door.

"It's not his partner!" Harry said.

Harry stood up and walked over to Ron.

"Where is he?" he asked, "Where's your partner?"

"Here!" Rossi said, "Stupefy!"

Rossi's spell hit Golding in the back, before he had time to turn. Golding fell to the floor, stunned. Ron dove to the ground in the direction of his wand and picked it up.

"Get down, criminal!" Rossi said, pointing his wand at Harry, as Ron stood back up.

"I give up," Harry said, going to his knees, "You got me!"

"The victors!" Allison's voice came from behind Ron, "Weasley and Rossi!"

Ron turned around. Allison was walking toward them.

"Revive your partner, Potter," she said, "And prepare for your turn as the good guys."

"Yes, ma'am," Harry said. He looked at Ron, "Nice job, mate."

Ron smiled.

"Yes, Weasley," Allison said, "Nice job. You too, Rossi. I guess my robots can't fool you, can they, Ron?"

Ron smiled.

"I'm very surprised that you were more worried for the health of a citizen," Allison said, "More than you were for your safety, or your mission."

Ron tensed up. Had he made a mistake.

"You remembered the number one priority of the Aurors," Allison said, "Keep casualties to a minimum, and you still managed to apprehend the criminals. Very good job."

"I wouldn't have done it if didn't try to capture me," Ron said.

"That's their mistake, not yours," Allison said, "Whose idea was it to split the two of you up?"

Rossi pointed to Ron.

"I wouldn't usually suggest that as something you should do," Allison said, "Especially if it just you and your partner on the mission, but it seemed to work for you in the end. Top marks to the both of you."

"Top marks?" Ron asked, "But a citizen died, and a few cars exploded. Muggles would probably notice, wouldn't they?"

"That is what the Memory Charm is for, Mr. Weasley," Allison said, smiling, "And you can't always protect Muggles on every mission. Especially in this kind of environment. Top marks. Now get ready to be the bad guys this time. Find a place to hide. The Aurors will be coming soon!"

Allison smiled again, and walked away.

"Top marks," Rossi said, "Brilliant."

"Yeah," Ron said, "Thanks for backing me up there."

"Almost didn't find you," Rossi said, "I was walking a different way, until I heard Golding's voice. Lucky he is so loud."

"You did brilliant," Ron said.

He grinned. Maybe having Rossi as a partner wasn't so bad after all.

Ron and Rossi didn't have as much luck as criminals. They were able to stay away from Harry and Golding a lot longer, though their session ended when Rossi accidentally led Ron into an alleyway that turned out to be a dead end. Rossi felt rather bad, but Ron only blamed the performance on the fact that they didn't have much experience in an environment like this. Also, Harry and Golding had the advantage of knowing the area more since they were hiding in it first.

When Ron arrived home after training, Harry's owl Ares was waiting for him with Ginny's letter. Ginny had been successful, and Gwenog had offered to keep the Harpies' Pitch open for a couple hours after practice. Ron would be able to take Hermione to the Pitch around five-o-clock the evening of her birthday. Ginny also offered to have a private birthday party at Harry's house.

While Ron was reading the letter, Hermione had arrived home.

"Anything interesting?" Hermione asked.

"Just planning your birthday party," Ron said, "Hope you aren't doing nothing at five in the evening, cause I'm planning on something for you then, then afterward, we're going to go to Harry's for your party."

"Brilliant!" Hermione said, grinning, "My parents sent me a letter this morning, and they offered to take me out for my birthday earlier in the morning, so I'll make it back in time for your surprise. How does that sound?"

"Perfect," Ron said, grinning.

He would make sure Hermione's birthday would be her most memorable yet.

=============================================  
**End of chapter! I do have Hermione's birthday chapter planned, but it will probably be three or four chapters before that happens. Next chapter is... well, it will be a surprise.**

**If you are a fan of X-Men, you'll notice similarities between the Danger Room in this chapter, and the one in the X-Men comics. I got my idea from that. Hope you liked it!**

**More coming soon! Feedback will be awesome!**


	38. Secrets and Spies

**Chapter 38  
Secrets and Spies**

**Author's Note: I know the Messenger Patronus Charm is usually used by the Order of the Phoenix, but I think every wizard would be able to do it, so it is going to be used in this chapter. This chapter will be in multiple PoVs, and some will be in PoVs I haven't used before now.**

**(Daphne's PoV)**

Daphne Greengrass was having a bad day.

It had been almost twenty-four hours since she had ordered a group of her cohorts to go to the Surejan Dragon Reserve and steal a number of dragons. She had sent Blaise Zabini as the leader of the mission, and she hadn't heard anything from him. What had happened?

It was a simple task. She had picked this Reserve because of the news of the recent dragon escape. These particular dragons were a feisty bunch. They would be of great use to her plans. Daphne's plan of attack had been perfect. She had written a letter to the Surejan Dragon Reserve impersonating a member of the Romanian Ministry of Magic, telling them to expect a team of wizards. The trainers would have been too busy worrying about the consequences of the recent escape and they wouldn't have predicted a possible attack. They'd stand no chance against the surprise attack.

So why had Blaise not contacted her yet, as he had been ordered to do?

Throughout the day, Daphne remained in her room, trying to avoid contact from her parents. They knew nothing about Daphne's role as leader in a rogue group of wizards, but she knew they were getting suspicious about her action as of late, owing to the conversation they had the previous night during dinner...

_Flashback begins..._

_It was a rare occasion for the Greengrass family to have a proper family dinner around the table as of late. Daphne was too busy with her own life, and most of the time she would just catch an occasional bite. But that evening was different. Alaric Greengrass, formerly an Unspeakable, had been promoted and no longer had to work in the gloomy shadows in the Department of Mysteries. Katrina Greengrass had been so pleased that she had called for a special occasion for the family, sans Astoria, of course, who was at Hogwarts._

_"A toast!" Katrina said, lifting up her glass of firewhiskey, as Daphne and Alaric did the same, "To a grand promotion!"_

_"Congratulations, Daddy," Daphne said, feigning the sweet-mannered girly attitude she had gotten over months ago, but was still trying to hide under, whenever she was around her parents._

_Alaric grinned at his daughter, and tapped her glass with his._

_"It was a complete surprise, of course," he said, his usual pompous manner resonating through his voice, "There had been rumors that a promotion was in the works for somebody, but I hardly believed it would be me. I hoped, of course, but that was just about all I could do. Anyway, I no longer have to work in the cramped conditions of the Department of Mysteries. I am now, if I remember correctly, a 'Purveyor of Mysterious Magical Artifacts', which basically means I get to travel the world discovering artifacts instead of studying them."_

_"Well, it is about time, in my opinion," Katrina said, setting her glass down, "I was beginning to think you would never lose the pale complexion from the lack of sunlight."_

_"So, Daphne," Alaric said, as he begin to cut up his T-bone steak, "After my promotion, I was thinking of things. The Ministry is in dire need of more Unspeakables, and I could put in a good word for you if you wish to become one."_

_"Me? An Unspeakable?" Daphne asked, then laughed, "No, thank you, Daddy. I'm not good at keeping secrets."_

_"Rubbish," Alaric said, "You take after me quite well."_

_"I couldn't, Father," Daphne said, "Besides, do you see someone like me cooped up in a place like that down there?"_

_"She does have a point, Alaric," Katrina said, "Remember when you took her on a tour of the Department of Mysteries? Something was off about her for a week."_

_"Well, you have to do something, sweetheart," Alaric said, "You've been out of Hogwarts for, what, a year and a half now?"_

_"I have a few things lined up," Daphne said. "In fact, I'm in the middle of things right now."_

_"Does this have something to do with a boy?" Katrina asked, "I talk to Aretha Zabini, you know. She says Blaise gets a lot of visits from Sasha."_

_Sasha was Daphne's gray owl. Daphne blushed at the suggestion. She did fancy Blaise a bit, but she would never tell him. Besides, she was too focused on her mission to get mixed up with him like that._

_"Mum!" Daphne said, pink color rising in her cheeks, "We're just friends!"_

_"Daphne, your mother and I are just worried about your future," Alaric said. "You are a bright young lady with a lot of talent. You can have a bright future if you put your mind to it. I just fear you are wasting that."_

_"I'll be fine, Daddy," Daphne said, "You don't have to worry about me."_

_Alaric smiled, but Daphne could see that her father was worried. She was worried too. Did her father find her actions as of late suspicious?_

_Flashback ends_

Daphne sighed, as she looked at the small family portrait on her desk. Her father, mother and sister were all staring up at her from it. Daphne turned the portrait face down.

It would be unbearable if her parents ever found out what she was doing. She was one of the few members in her rogue group that still had both her parents. They never got mixed up in the Death Eaters, and she knew they would never support her idea, even though they were both purebloods and proud Slytherins.

Daphne took her wand from her pocket and pointed it toward the floor.

"Expecto Patronum!" she whispered.

A large silver chameleon appeared from the tip of her wand and crawled onto the ground.

"Send this message to everyone in the group," Daphne instructed the Patronus, "'Unplanned meeting, tomorrow evening at seven on the dot. Usual place. Attendance is required.' Go now. Make haste."

She watched as the silver chameleon leaped through the closed window and disappeared out of sight. She then fell back onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling. When she was younger, she used to stare at the ceiling all the time, thinking it would give her answers to all of her problems. Sooner or later, she would find the answers she was looking for. These days, however, it seemed the answers just wouldn't come.

Daphne emitted and annoyed sigh, and closed her eyes. Even though she wasn't tired, she wanted to drift off to sleep. There was nothing else she wanted to do with her life. At least at the moment.

Daphne Greengrass was having a very bad day.  
======================

**(Astoria's PoV)**

Astoria Greengrass was also having a bad day.

Astoria was known by her peers as a rebel Slytherin. She was unlike the rest of the Slytherins in many ways, the main reason was that she was too cheerful most of the time.

But, as of late, she wasn't too cheerful at all. She had been bitten by what Muggles called "the love bug" and it had really affected her. In fact it had affected her so much, she had almost refused to come back to Hogwarts for her final year of school. Only two things had convinced her to come back: the threat that her parents would disown her if she dropped out, and the fact that Draco promised that he would write to her more often than not.

At the moment, being disowned by her parents didn't seem so bad. Especially if it meant that she'd be able to see Draco again. Draco had not stopped writing letters to her, but recently, he seemed so distracted and depressed. Astoria knew that Draco must have been missing her as much as she was missing him. She hated to see him like this. If it wasn't for Draco's repeated promises that he'd see her during her first Hogsmeade weekend (even though that was still over a month and a half way), she'd run away from Hogwarts and go to him this very minute.

Even though it caused her fellow Slytherins to give her odd looks, Astoria did her best to keep up her cheerful appearance. She was the odd one out, sure, but if she changed her ways, her peers would have known something was wrong. That was something she didn't need to deal with right now.

As it was, she was afraid her Professors had already seen a change in her. For the second time in a row, she had gotten a poor grade on her Transfiguration homework. It just so happened that Astoria was quite skilled in Transfiguration, which was usually a good thing. But now Professor McGonagall seemed to have noticed the dramatic change. On the most recent piece of homework she was given back, earlier that day, there was a note attached. It had read:

_Miss Greengrass, I have recently seen some changes in your schoolwork as of late. I am worried, to be honest. Normally, I would request that you would have an appointment with Professor Slughorn, your Head of House, but I feel I need to take matters into my own hands. Please come to my office this evening at half-past-six. Password is Cat Tails._

As soon as she had left class, Astoria had set an Incendio spell on the small note. She knew that burning the note wouldn't make Professor McGonagall forget her request, or excuse her from going, but it made her feel better. She knew exactly what McGonagall was going to ask her, and Astoria didn't know how she was going to answer it.

Astoria checked her watch: it was a little past six... less than thirty minutes till her meeting. She wouldn't be able to have dinner until after the meeting, but she hardly cared. The way her stomach was acting from the stress, anything she would eat would probably have come back up.

She left the Slytherin Common Room and headed for the Headmistress' office. She gave the password to the gargoyle out front, who moved aside, letting her through and up the stairs that led to the office. When she arrived just outside the door, she heard voices.

"I understand you are about to speak to a student in my house, Minerva," a raspy, pompous voice said, "I expect you won't be too harsh on them, right?"

"I don't think I ever been particularly harsh to any one of the Slytherins, Phineas," McGonagall's voice rang out.

Astoria knocked on the door, which opened immediately. She walked into the office.

"Miss Greengrass!" Phineas Nigellus Black's portrait said, "Good evening!"

"Please sit down, Miss Greengrass," McGonagall said, pointing to the chair in front of her desk.

Astoria did so.

"I'm sure you have figured out why you are here tonight?" McGonagall asked.

"I did poor on a couple of pieces of homework," Astoria said.

"Yes," McGonagall said, "Most of the time, I don't have meetings personally with students when this happens. I usually let the Heads of Houses handle it. But I was curious this time. You are one of the brightest students of your year, especially in Transfiguration."

"Do you hear that?" Phineas said, "A Slytherin is one of the brightest students. Not a Ravenclaw. Do you hear that?"

"Yes, yes, we're very proud," the portrait of Severus Snape said, yawning, behind McGonagall, "Do be quiet please. Some of us are trying to sleep."

"Thank you, Severus, Phineas," McGonagall said, without taking her eyes off Astoria. "As I was saying, Miss Greengrass, before I was rudely interrupted, you are one of the brightest students of your year. I was quite shocked to see not one, but two, pieces of homework from you that were done poorly. Can you tell me why you did so poorly."

"I don't know," Astoria lied.

"Oh, I think you do," McGonagall said. "Can I give you my theories?"

Astoria hesitated, but nodded.

"I think there is a certain someone in your life, Astoria," McGonagall said, "And I think he is already out of Hogwarts, so you cannot see him everyday, and this affects you greatly."

"What did she say?" the man in a portrait, who was holding an ear-horn to the side of his head, asked.

"The young lady is in love, Basil," Everard's portrait said, causing Astoria to blush.

"The young lady is missing her glove?" Basil asked, "Well, that isn't something to worry about at all!"

"Love!" Everard said, "She's in love, you deaf dimbo!"

McGonagall cleared her throat. Basil and Everard went silent.

"Well, Mrs. Greengrass?" McGonagall asked, "What do you have to say?"

"I..." Daphe said, not knowing exactly what to say, then paused and looked at her hands resting in her lap.

"I can see by your loss of words that I'm probably correct," McGonagall said, grinning. "I will only tell you this. You are not the first student or the last in these hallowed halls who has fallen in love with someone who is no longer a student here."

"Minerva," Albus Dumbledore said, "Are you possibly saying that you –?"

McGonagall cleared her throat again, and Professor Dumbledore stopped immediately.

"You, Professor?" Astoria asked.

McGonagall narrowed her eyes in the direction of the portrait of Professor Dumbledore.

"Yes," she said, resignedly, "When I was a student in school, I had fallen in love with someone who was a year ahead of me. So, when the time came for me to enter my seventh year, he had already finished. But he gave me some good advice. He told me to focus on my schoolwork, and that he'd promise to be there when I finished up."  
"My boyfriend sort of told me the same thing," Astoria said, "He told me to focus on my exams and schoolwork, and that he'd come to Hogsmeade the first weekend we get to go."

"You are more fortunate than I was," McGonagall said, "I didn't have the novelty of a Hogsmeade weekend back then. Our headmaster was too strict then."

McGonagall had narrowed her eyes in the direction of one of the portraits, but Astoria couldn't tell which she was looking at. McGonagall then looked back at Astoria.

"My only advice is to focus on your schoolwork, Miss Greengrass," McGonagall said. "If you need another 'oomph!' in the right direction... well, I usually have to forbid Hogsmeade passes to those who do poorly in their schoolwork."

She raised her eyebrows, and Astoria only smiled.

"I'll be sure to do that, Headmistress," she said.

"Very well," McGonagall said, "Off you go."

Astoria stood up and walked toward the door. She then turned around.

"Headmistress?" Astoria asked. "I'm curious. This love of yours. Whatever happened to him?"

"Oh, I don't know," McGonagall said, "We only lasted a couple of years after I left Hogwarts."

Astoria's eyes widened.

"I hope you and your boyfriend have more luck than I did, eh?" McGonagall said, giving a rare smile.

Astoria nodded. As she walked out, she heard Phineas Nigellus Black's portrait speak up.

"Now, Headmistress," he said, "I'm interested in hearing more about this boy -"

"Oh, do shut up, Phineas," McGonagall said.

Astoria sighed as she walked down the stairs. As she promised McGonagall, she would try to improve on her schoolwork, but at the same time she would be counting down the days to Hogsmeade weekend, and she hoped Draco was doing the same.

========================================  
**(Draco's PoV)**

Hogsmeade weekend, however, was the last thing on Draco's mind at the moment. He had just been visited by Daphne's silver Chameleon Patronus with information concerning the next meeting, which just so happened to be the next evening.

He was beyond thankful his parents weren't home at the moment, because Daphne's voice had resonated throughout the house, and his parents would have surely heard her voice and the announcement of the meeting. He was doing well enough keeping the information of what he had been doing the past few days silent, and this would have ruined that completely. Daphne was going to get a mouthful when he saw her. He'd make sure of it.

Time seemed to fly by for Draco. Before he knew it, he found himself on Mayhew Street once again, walking up to the house that the meeting was taking place at. Pansy met him at the door, when he knocked on it, and she welcomed him in with a smile. Obviously she had forgotten the end of their conversation the previous Saturday. Draco would have to do his best to avoid Pansy that night.

"Draco's here," Pansy said, as she and Draco arrived in the dining room.

Draco noticed that, unlike last Saturday, the house seemed rather empty. Only his former Slytherin classmates were in attendance tonight.

"So we're just missing Blaise," Daphne said.

"He's probably too embarrassed to show his face," Nott said, snickering.

"What's going on?" Draco asked, as he took a seat at the table.

"Well, I was going to wait until Blaise was here so he could give his side of the story," Daphne said, "But maybe he doesn't deserve to defend himself just yet."

"Excuse me?" a voice behind Draco asked.

Draco and the others turned. Blaise was standing in the doorway. Daphne stood up and walked over to Blaise.

"How about you tell us what happened on Tuesday, Blaise?" she asked him.

"What about Tuesday?" Draco asked.

"Start off from the beginning," Daphne said, "To let the others catch up."

Blaise didn't respond for half of a minute. He was too busy staring at Daphne and the others. What had happened? Finally he spoke up and Draco listened as Blaise started on his tale. He spoke of how Daphne had ordered him and a small portion of their group to go to the Surejan Dragon Reserve in Romania, in an attempt to capture some dragons. He explained that the dragon trainers were expecting the Romanian Ministry of Magic in a visit to talk about the recently escaped dragon. Draco had heard about the dragon escape, so he wasn't particularly surprised about that part.

"I led the group through the mountain range," Blaise continued, "And things immediately went wrong. A dragon roared in the reserve, and the sound was so loud it spooked a couple of guys. One guy accidentally let off a spell from his wand and it caused a large tree to set on fire. Before we could extinguish it, smoke had already billowed into the sky. The dragon trainers knew we were coming. When we got over the hill and had a view of the Dragon Reserve, a small resistance of dragon trainers were there, ready to stop us. Unfortunately for them, we had too many on our side. After a bit of a fight, they started to retreat."

"Wait," Daphne said, "They were retreating. It sounds as if you won. So why didn't you get any dragons?"

"I'm not finished," Blaise said, "Anyway, we charged after them, and were casting spells in every direction and the dragon trainers, at least the brave ones, were doing the same. Then just as we got close to the reservation, something happened we didn't predict: Harry Potter, and his friends Weasley and Granger were there."

Draco shook his head. Of course. Why wasn't he surprised?

"Wait," Daphne said, "Harry Potter was there?"

"Yeah," Blaise said, "And he wasn't part of our plan, Daphne, you know that. So basically we had to get out of there. We all just apparated. I'm sorry, Daphne. I really am -"

Daphne raised her hand, stopping Blaise.

"Potter," she muttered, "What in Merlin's hell was he doing there?"

"I have a theory on that," Theodore Nott said, "Well, actually more than a theory."

"You did a better job, than Blaise, I assume?" Daphne asked.

"Of course," Nott said.

"What am I missing here?" Pansy asked, "What's going on?"

"I gave Nott a mission," Daphne said. "I had him spy on Harry and his friends, just to see what they were up to. What did you find out, Theodore?"

"Quite a bit," Nott said, "Granger and Ron Weasley are living together, and have been doing so for a little while. Apparently they are engaged to be married."

"Pureblood mixing with mud," Pansy sneered, "Holy Merlin, what is our world coming to?"

"They aren't the only happy couple," Nott said, "Harry Potter himself is engaged to Ron's sister, Ginny."

"Get on with it," Daphne said, "I'm not interested in Potter's love life. I want to know why he was at the dragon reserve."

"I have an answer to that as well," Nott said. "On Monday, Granger started a new job with the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. She's an assistant to a rookie lawyer."

"Let me guess," Daphne said, "This lawyer was assigned to the dragon escape case."

"Exactly," Nott said. "Apparently, the lawyer went out to the Reserve, and Granger tagged along. From there, it is probably easy to guess what happened. Thanks to the billowing stack of smoke, the Aurors must have had a fair warning."

"Like I said," Blaise said.

"It was reported that the Floo Network," Nott said, "was connected from our Ministry to one fireplace at the Dragon Reserve. Granger must have gotten hold of Potter and Weasley. Weasley's eldest brother is one of the main trainers at the Reserve, and his fiancee was there, so of course he wouldn't pass up going to help. Potter came along, and you know the rest."

"Like I said, Daphne," Blaise said, "Potter was no part of our plan. We couldn't capture him then, not out in the open. I was lucky they didn't recognize me. We were classmates together, remember? If he saw me, our whole group here would have been in jeopardy. We had to get out of there."

"I understand, Blaise," Daphne said.

"What is our next move?" Pansy asked.

"We stay put," Daphne said.

"Are you serious?" Goyle asked, "We're not doing anything?"

"We should be thankful we have Nott as a spy," Daphne said. "That is all we need right now. If we were to do anything too rash right now, the Ministry is sure to notice. We can't risk it. So we stick to information-gathering right now. Nott, you will continue your work. It is excellent. The rest of you... lay low. I don't want to hear anything happening with any of you. When I figure out the next move, I'll give you a Patronus message, like yesterday. Meeting's over. Nott, Pansy, and Draco, stay behind. I need to speak with you. The rest of you are free to go. I mean it guys. Lay low."

Blaise, Goyle and the other two boys which Draco couldn't remember stood up and left.

"How deep are you in, Theodore?" Draco asked.

"I have my secrets, Draco," Nott said, "Lets just say that I have ways to get all this information, and nobody would look at me any different."

"Impressive," Draco said.

"Draco and Pansy," Daphne said, "I need to the two of you to do something for me... together."

Draco stared at Daphne. Did he hear her right. She wanted him and Pansy to do something?

"What happened to that lay low rubbish?" Draco asked.

"I wasn't going to mention this around Blaise and Goyle, and the others," Daphne said, "Blaise has failed me once, I don't trust Goyle as far as I can throw him, and I don't know the others well enough to even remember their names. You and Pansy, however, I feel I can trust."

"What do you need us to do?" Pansy asked.

Draco grimaced. He didn't like Pansy's use of the term "us".

"Nott had informed me early on about Weasley and Granger living together," Daphne said, "We know where they live, but I'm not going to risk doing anything to them. However, I need a couple of long-term spies, emphasis on couple. You two are going to move in together to a house that opened up down the street from Weasley and Granger and keep an eye on them."

Draco caught a grin form across Pansy's face.

"I've had a batch of Polyjuice Potion prepared," Daphne said, "that will last a month, and I'll have more when that is through. You need to figure out someone to impersonate and transform into them whenever you leave the house. I do not want Granger and Weasley to recognize either of you. Got it?"

"Yes," Pansy said.

"And if I refuse?" Draco asked.

"Then we'll tell your parents," Daphne said. "And we'll tell my sister what you've been up to. I know that is the last thing you want."

"Fine," Draco grumbled, "Give me a couple days to talk to my parents about this. I need to figure out what to tell them without making it sound suspicious."

"Sounds good," Pansy said, "It'll give me a couple days to set everything up."

"Can I go then?" Draco asked, "Since It looks like I have a lot of things to think about."

"You're excused," Daphne said.

"See you in a couple days, Draco," Pansy said, with a grin.

Draco rolled his eyes and turned around and headed straight out the door. What had he gotten himself into?

==========================================  
**Dun, Dun, Dun! Wow... that whole part with Draco and Pansy came into my head just as I was writing it. That surprised even me. What is going to happen? How is Draco going to deal with this? Even I'm not sure!**

**But for the next few chapters, I'll be going back to the main four! Ginny's Quidditch Match versus Puddlemere United is next!**

**What do you think? Feedback would be amazing!**


	39. Siren's Song

**Chapter 38  
Siren's Song**

**Author's Note: I was recently asked what Daphne's motivations are behind why she is doing what she's doing, since her parents are alive and still high up a part of the wizarding community. Well, I can answer that since it is has no real part in the rest of the story. Basically she believes what Voldemort did was right, and between that, and the fact that her friends lost their parents, and she wants to help them avenge them, that is why she is part of this rogue group. Plus she is a smart leader. She was the perfect choice. **

**Also, originally this was going to be in Ginny's PoV, during the Quidditch Match, but I have decided to go a different route. **

**Edit: Sorry if you got two Chapter announcements for this one. Had to edit a couple of mistakes. **

After the madness of the Danger Room, Allison had toned down Ron and Harry's training just a little bit. Ron was continually impressed by Taylor Rossi, and his first impressions of the big guy had been all for naught. Allison had Ron and Rossi practicing two-on-two dueling for the next few days. When she had announced this, Ron thought that she was going to put him against Harry and Golding once again. But over the next couple of days, he and Rossi didn't train against Harry at all. In fact, he rarely saw his best mate except for lunch breaks.

When Ron had brought up the odd strategy to Harry, Harry said that Allison was most likely trying to use them to help raise up the experience of the other trainees, He said there was no point of putting them against each other when they were the best trainees in the corp, because it would get rather boring and pointless just to do that over and over every day.

Meanwhile, Hermione was looking forward to the dragon escape case that would come the following Monday. Brady seemed to act very strange after the attack at the dragon reserve. Hermione didn't know whether it was the attack, or the aftermath of him realizing she was engaged that had him acting so strangely. She didn't want to think it was the latter, because he had only known her for a day when he found that out. Brady seemed like the kind of guy who liked to get into confrontations of words, and not wands, so Hermione assumed the attack on the reserve must have affected him greatly.

Whatever it was, Brady seemed rather focused on the case on Monday and nothing else. He'd give Hermione things to do, but mostly he had her take his Owl Post that came in. He seemed to avoid eye contact with Hermione, but she didn't take this as bad. Brady seemed really dedicated to his work and she knew he'd want to do everything to win the case on Monday.

Ginny and the Holyhead Harpies would be facing Puddlemere United on Saturday, and this match was going to be one their most difficult matches of the season. Puddlemere United was one of the most fierce Quidditch teams in the league. They had won the Quidditch cup several times, and several of their players in the past had been a part of the Quidditch World Cup for their respective countries.

Each and every practice had been fierce and fast and strong. Each time a Harpies player would make a mistake, Gwenog Jones would be on them, making sure they corrected their mistakes and never did it again. When Ginny asked Big Bertha if Gwenog had ever been like this before, Bertha shook her head and said that Gwenog only did it for training against Puddlemere United. The Harpies had lost many times against Puddlemere, and Gwenog had never forgotten that. Ginny vowed that she'd do everything she could on Saturday so that the Harpies wouldn't lose the match. She knew she'd have to be perfect.

Ever since Daphne had shocked Draco with his new mission, Draco had been a wreck. He could have abruptly refused Daphne, but she had played the blackmail card. He didn't want his parents to know what was going on, and he didn't want Astoria to find out either. It would break his heart if either found out, but, for unknown reasons to him, Draco thought it just might kill him if Astoria found out. He wanted to blame this on Astoria, for giving him that stupid promise to stay away from Pansy, but he blamed it on Daphne. Daphne must have known about this promise to Astoria, and now she was using it against Draco.

Draco spent most of the day after the meeting trying to figure out what to say to his parents. He'd be abruptly leaving Malfoy Manor without any warning, and he knew his parents would find that very strange.

Finally, on Friday, one day before his self-made deadline, he confronted his parents. He told them that he had a new job planned out, and that it was so unpredictable he had to be around his boss. He told his parents that the job was confidential and they couldn't know what he was doing, but that it paid good money, and would set him up for life without their help. Draco knew his parents were skeptical about this new job, but he also knew their pride for him would win out. They wanted their son to have something to do with the rest of his life, and to them, this new job was just the exact thing Draco needed. Draco only wished his parents knew exactly how wrong they were.

**(Hermione's PoV)**

Ron was already up when Hermione woke up on Saturday, the day of Ginny's Harpies match versus Puddlemere United. She took a quick shower and headed for the kitchen. Ron, however wasn't in the kitchen. Hermione found him standing at the living room window, looking out it.

"Good morning," Hermione said, when she walked up behind him.

Ron jumped and turned quickly.

"Blimey, Hermione!" he said, "You gave me a fright!"

"What are you looking at?" Hermione asked.

"We have new neighbors down the street," Ron said.

"Really?" Hermione replied.

She walked over to the window and peered out of it. A large moving street was parked in front of a house down the street.

"Must be Muggles," Ron said, "Our lot usually don't use moving trucks."

"We did," Hermione said.

"No, we didn't," Ron said, "The moving company came with the rental company, remember?"

"Right," Hermione said, "Anyway, we should welcome our new neighbors!"

"What?" Ron asked.

"Oh, come on, Ron," Hermione said, "It's tradition."

"No one welcomed us to the neighborhood," Ron reminded Hermione.

"Spoilsport," Hermione said, sticking out her tongue.

"Fine," Ron said, with a annoyed sigh, "But later. They're just getting things moved in. We shouldn't interrupt them just yet."

"We can do it before we leave for Ginny's game," Hermione said, "It's at three. That will give me time to make something for them."

"Another tradition, I suppose?" Ron asked.

Hermione smiled. Ron rolled his eyes and returned to the window.

"You shouldn't spy on them," Hermione said, as she walked toward the kitchen. "It's rude."

"Just keeping 'constant vigilance', Hermione," Ron said.

Hermione shook her head and grinned.

Hermione had baked a plate of cookies for the new neighbors, and it was decided Hermione and Ron would visit them the neighbors at noon. This would give them enough time to get to the Harpies arena, where the Quidditch match was taking place, but also give enough time to have a nice conversation with the neighbors if the situation called for it.

So at noon, Ron and Hermione walked down the street to the new neighbors' house. They knocked on the door, and waited a few moments.

"They must be busy," Ron said, when no answer came right away, "We should just go."

"Be patient!" Hermione insisted.

"Okay," Ron muttered, "I just think this is bloody-"

"Hello?" a muffled female voice said on the other side of the door.

"Hi!" Hermione said, "We're your neighbors from up the street. We saw that you just moved in and thought we'd welcome you. We... er... brought you cookies."

"Er... how lovely," the muffled voice said, "I'm not exactly decent. Can you wait a couple of minutes?"

"Sure!" Hermione said.

"I'll be right there!" the voice said, "Sorry!"

Hermione heard faint footsteps walking away.

"Can we just go?" Ron asked, "Obviously we interrupted them at a bad time. She didn't exactly sound excited."

"That would be quite rude," Hermione said, "We don't want to make a bad first impression."

"Fine," Ron grumbled.

"Be nice," Hermione said.

A couple minutes later, the door opened. A young lady in her late twenties was standing there. She had long, blonde hair and a nice slim body.

"Hello!" she said.

"Hi," Hermione said, "We're your neighbors from up the street. We thought we'd come and welcome you to the neighborhood. I'm Hermione, and this is Ron."

"Hi," Ron said, lamely.

"What a lovely gesture!" the lady said, "My name is Lauren. My husband, Parker, is just inside. You can come in if you want to."

"Well, actually," Ron said, "We need to be -"

"We'd love to," Hermione said, stealthily stomping on Ron's foot, "If only just for a little bit."

"Come on in," Lauren said.

Hermione and Ron walked into the house, and Lauren led them through to the living room. The house looked similar to their house. The kitchen and living room were in the same location, except that it was a mirrored image. Lauren's husband was sitting on a rocking chair, reading a book. He had short red hair, and was dressed in a leather jacket and jeans.

"Parker, honey," Lauren said, "We have guests. This is Ron and... I'm sorry, dear, I don't know how you pronounced it."

"Hermione," Hermione said, grinning.

Parker looked up at Ron and Hermione.

"Nice to meet you," he said.

"They brought some biscuits," Lauren said.

"Delicious," Parker said.

"Parker and I just moved here from France," Lauren said, "Parker has a job in... actually I'm not supposed to talk about it. Confidential stuff, if you get my meaning. What about you?"

"I'm a dentist," Hermione lied, smoothly, "Ron is a..."

"Also a dentist!" Ron said.

Hermione looked at Ron. He seemed to be acting rather nervous.

"Well, then," Lauren said, "We might have to look you up, then! Especially if we have at these lovely looking cookies. I'm just going to put these in the kitchen. Feel free to sit down and make yourselves at home."

Lauren smiled and disappeared into the kitchen. Hermione looked at Ron again. His eyes were darting around the room.

"What's wrong?" Hermione whispered to Ron.

Ron shook his head.

"So," Parker said, "Do you two like football?"

"Love it!" Ron said, chuckling, "Can't get enough."

Lauren returned.

"Well, I'm sure you still have loads to unpack," Ron said, "We actually have something we need to attend to. We just wanted to say hello and welcome you to the neighborhood. I'm sure we'll see each other again."

"Are you sure?" Lauren asked.

"Er... yeah," Hermione said, "We couldn't stay long. We just wanted to give you the cookies and say hello."

"Oh... well, okay," Lauren said, "Thank you for the cookies. I'm sure we'll see each other again."

"Yes," Hermione said.

Lauren led Hermione and Ron to the door. Ron quickly went out and Hermione followed him. They started walking up the street.

"What was that all about?" Hermione asked Ron.

"They're one of us!" Ron said, "Wizards!"

"What?" Hermione asked, "How do you know?"

"A picture on the wall in the living room moved," Ron said, "The guy in the picture stood up from his chair and sat back down."

"Oh," Hermione said, "So we have a couple new wizards on the block."

"They were sure trying hard enough to make themselves look like Muggles," Ron said, "That is really suspicious if you ask me. Our lot don't usually try that hard, even around Muggles. We just usually trust the fact that most Muggles don't notice magic that much."

"What do you think is going on?" Hermione asked.

"Maybe nothing," Ron said. "But I'm going to keep an eye on them over the next few days."

"Do you really think you need to do that?" Hermione asked.

"Constant vigilance, Hermione," Ron reminded her, "Let's wait till we get back to the house before we apparate to the stadium."

Hermione nodded. When she and Ron returned to their house, Ron, ignoring Hermione's questions, quickly applied a few magical locks to the front and back door. He then grabbed Hermione's hand and they apparated to the Harpies stadium.

=============================================  
**  
**The Harpies Stadium was already erupting in a fairly peaceful uproar. The match wouldn't start for another hour, and the crowd was already filling the seats. Luckily for Hermione and Ron, they had VIP seats, as was common for the family and close friends of the Quidditch players. Harry was standing near the ticket booth waiting for them.

"Great day for Quidditch!" Harry said, "Your parents and George and Angelina are already up in the VIP section, Ron! I told them I'd wait for you two."

Ron nodded, though he was silent. Hermione wondered if Ron was still thinking about the new neighbors. Harry seemed to notice because he confronted Hermione while Ron walked ahead toward the stadium.

"Something wrong between the two of you again?" Harry asked.

"No, of course not!" Hermione said.

"Something's bothering Ron," Harry said, "That much is easy to see. What is it?"

Before Hermione could answer, a flock of fans dressed like actual Harpies landed on the ground and started cheering around them, chanting "Harpies, Harpies, Harpies!"

"I'll tell you later!" Hermione said, laughing, "We should get to our seats!"

Harry nodded, and Hermione and Ron followed Harry toward the VIP section. The stadium was so large, it took almost half-an-hour just to get there.

"You'd think VIPs would have an easier time getting to their seats," Ron said, out of breath, as they arrived at the VIP section.

"I better not be hearing you complain about such glorious seats, Ronald Weasley!" Mrs. Weasley said.

"No, Mum," Ron said.

Hermione and Harry grinned as they joined Ron in three empty seats behind Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Angelina and George.

"Beautiful day for a Quidditch match!" Mr. Weasley said.

"Er... Dad," Ron said, "Can Hermione and I talk to you for a moment? Privately?"

Hermione caught a quick glance from Harry. She could just see the cogs turning in his head. He looked a little suspicious. Perhaps she should have told him earlier.

"Harry can come too," Hermione said, and when Ron looked at her questioningly, she said, "I promised we'd tell him too."

Mr. Weasley glanced back and forth at Ron and Hermione.

"Er... sure," he said, "Come on."

Hermione, Ron and Harry followed Mr. Weasley just out of hearing range.

"Okay," Mr. Weasley, "What's going on?"

"You two didn't get married without me knowing, did you?" Harry asked.

Mr. Weasley made a choking sound, while Ron and Harry shook their heads violently.

"No, nothing like that!" Hermione said.

"Are you bloody mental?" Ron asked.

"Well, I had to check, didn't I?" Harry replied. "You seemed to be acting rather odd, and that is all I could think of."

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Mr. Weasley asked, who had a look of relief wash across his face.

"We have new neighbors down the street," Ron said. "Hermione and I visited them to give them a nice welcome, and well... at first we thought they were Muggles. Their house, and the way they decorated it definitely seemed the way a Muggle would do it. You know, what I mean, right, Dad?"

"Yes," Mr. Weasley said, "Most of the time wizards decorate so... oddly, I guess you could say... so Un-Muggle-like, that you'd have to be thick to not notice something was off if you were a Muggle. It's been a pain with the Ministry. But hardly anyone cares about Muggles that way anymore. So what was off about your neighbors? Obviously you think they are wizards?"

"I was almost convinced they were Muggles," Ron said, "Until I saw a picture moving."

"It could have been the television," Harry suggested, "Televisions have moving pictures."

"This was a portrait, Harry," Ron said, rolling his eyes, "I do know the difference. Anyway, Dad, I know you have friends in the census department and I was hoping you could request to see if these two are wizards."

"I might be able to do that," Mr. Weasley said, "What are their names?"

"Lauren and Parker," Ron said, "We don't know their last names."

"We know they moved here from France," Hermione said, "If that helps."

"I'll see what I can do," Mr. Weasley said, "Is there any reason I should be worried about this?"

"No, Dad," Ron said, "I just think we should be cautious, given that – you know."

"I do," Mr. Weasley said, "I agree with you, and I will try to get you those answers by Monday. Now how about we take our seats? I believe I hear the Pre-game announcements!"

Hermione, Ron, Harry and Mr. Weasley returned to their seats, just in time to hear the last name on the Puddlemere United team announced, the Keeper, Oliver Wood. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Angelina and George cheered for Oliver, causing a few people to look up at them.

"Oh, shut it," George said, to the onlookers, "We're still rooting for the Harpies. Oliver Wood's a friend!"

"And now, Quidditch fans," the announcer said, "Here are your home-team Holyhead Harpies!"

"Here she comes!" Mr. Weasley said.

"De Pierre, Kavoff, Weasley, Biggs, Crowe, Waters, and Jones!" the announcer called out.

If it weren't for the magical charms placed around the stadium, the resonating cheer that surrounded the stadium would have probably been heard by confused Muggles for miles and miles.

"There she is!" Mr. Weasley said, proudly, as Ginny flew past the VIP seats, and waved at everyone.

"As the players from both teams get ready to begin the game," the announcer said, "Acclaimed Quidditch Referee, who has been a part of 750 matches, both as a celebrated Chaser, and official Alec Salvatore steps out onto the field."

"Salvatore?" George said, "Not him! He was Chaser for Puddlemere United! He'll give favors to his old team!"

"Makes it a bit more interesting," chortled Mr. Weasley.

"Alec Salvatore gives his traditional pre-match speech to the players," the announcer said, "and he releases the Bludgers, followed by the Golden Snitch. I'm sure you don't need reminded that the game can't end until the Golden Snitch is caught. Whichever seeker catches it earns 150 points for their team. Salvatore takes the Quaffle from the chest, blows his whistle and throws the Quaffle in the air! Every one of the Chasers on each team goes in for the Quaffle, can't tell who is who! And someone breaks out of the crowd with the Quaffle... who is it?"

"It's Ginny!" Ron said, grinning.

Hermione recognized that unmistakable flow of ginger hair and knew Ron was right.

"Ginny Weasley!" the announcer said, "Rookie Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies! Weasley takes the Quaffle and heads down the Pitch toward the Puddlemere rings!"

Hermione watched as Ginny passed the Quaffle to Gwenog Jones, then flew out of the way to avoid a well-aimed Bludger from a Puddlemere Beater.

"Oliver Wood knows how to play," Angelina said, "Hope Ginny and the other Harpies know how to work around him."

"Jones passes the Quaffle to Chase Crowe," the announcer said, "Crowe just flies away from the grasp of Jackson, the Puddlemere Chaser. Weasley flies ahead, Crowe passes it to Weasley, who passes it to Gwenog, who is close to the rings. Oooh, she nearly gets clobbered by a Bludger and has to pass it away. Jackson tries to grab it and... no, Weasley snatches it out of his grasp! She's close to the rings – she's close – she – she scores! Nice fake and toss by Ginny Weasley! Puddlemere Keeper Oliver Wood went completely the wrong way!"

Hermione, Harry, and the Weasleys joined the cheers of the rest of the Harpies fans!

"Ginny must have learned a lot from watching Oliver while he was at Hogwarts to get past him like that!" George said, sitting back down, "Never seen him get faked out like that before!"

"The Harpies lead 10-0!" the announcer said, "and Puddlemere Chaser Strauss takes the Quaffle and heads down the Pitch! But you can bet your Harpies are tagging right along behind him! Big Bertha swings her club and aims a Bludger right for the lead Puddlemere Chaser and – ooh, nice block by Puddlemere's own Beater, Hoggins! The Bludger boomeranged back to Big Bertha, who had to duck out the way! I have never seen Big Bertha have to dodge her own Bludger! Back to the Chaser action, Harpies' Captain Gwenog Jones tries to intercept the Quaffle, but Strauss passes it to his fellow Chaser, Jackson! Jackson heads for Waters and it is just Chaser vs. Keeper now! Jackson throws and..."

There was a loud, simultaneous groan coming from three-fourths of the stadium.

"Jackson scores," the announcer said, "The Harpies Keeper Roxy Waters was too slow! 10-10 all tied up and Chase has the Quaffle."

Nearly an hour went by in the match, and it was all tied up once again. The match had gone back and forth... sometimes the Harpies would get a twenty or thirty point lead, then Puddlemere United would come back and tie it up. Hermione could see that Ginny was getting really tired. She'd slow up her reaction time, but she was still getting a good number of the scores.

The score was now 170-160, in favor of Puddlemere.

"This match is too close," Ron said, "Whoever gets the Snitch will win."

"Ginny Weasley has the Quaffle and is heading for the Puddlemere rings!" the announcer said, "She looks unstoppable out – ohh, what's this? I think Humphries, the seeker for Puddlemere sees the Snitch! He's certainly chasing something! And De Pierre is hot on his tail! She's faster than him that's for sure! Can she catch up before Humphries gets his hands around the Snitch. Whoever grabs the Snitch wins the game for their team!"

Suddenly, Hermione heard faint ethereal music playing somewhere.

"Where's that music coming from?" Harry asked.

"I don't know, but it is really loud!" George said.

"Loud?" Angelina asked, "I can barely hear it at all."

"De Pierre's part Veela," Mr. Weasley said, "Plug your ears, boys, I think I know what is about to happen!"

Ron, Harry, George and Mr. Weasley plugged their ears.

"Just watch the Harpies Seeker!" Mr. Weasley said.

Hermione watched De Pierre, as she flew closer to the Snitch and Puddlemere's Seeker. Then, De Pierre started shaking her head back and forth, her long white-blonde hair fanning out behind her.

"Look at the Puddlemere Seeker!" Angelina said.

Hermione did so. The Puddlemere Seeker looked absolutely dazed. He dived downwards away from the Snitch, and before Hermione could yell out, the Puddlemere player crashed into the ground with a sound that echoed around the stadium! The faint ethereal music stopped.

"I was unaware how dangerous Veela powers were for someone who is just part-Veela!" Mr. Weasley said, "Outstanding!"

"The Puddlemere Seeker has crashed!" the announcer said, "This one is all but over! De Pierre flies toward the Snitch... the other players are just watching her... she reaches for the Snitch and – she – grabs it! Harpies have won the match! 310-170!"

Hermione, Ron, Harry and most of the stadium cheered and clapped.

Going into the game, Puddlemere was the sure-shot to win. They were one of the best teams in the past seasons, but nobody could have predicted the way this one would end.

"I can't believe something like what De Pierre did is legal!" Hermione said, as she, Harry, Ron and the rest of the Weasleys waited out in front of the Harpies locker room for Ginny a while later.

"Oh, quit complaining, Hermione," Ron said, "We won!"

"They were once illegal," George said, "But the heads of the league decided to make it legal."

"The fans love it," Mr. Weasley said, "and the Magical Games and Sports committee love to see the excitement like that."

"It just seems to brutal," Hermione said.

"Well, she can only do it to male Seekers," Angelina said, "As you could tell, it doesn't affect us girls. So she has to use her skills against females. I'm sure Gwenog Jones knows all about De Pierre's powers. She probably doesn't allow her to use it unless it comes down to when they really need it, like today."

Before Hermione could reply, the locker room doors opened and Ginny and the rest of the team walked out. Ginny immediately walked over to Harry and the others.

"Nice job, Ginny!" Angelina said.

"I did my fair share," Ginny said, "But De Pierre... she won it for us."

"We were just discussing her," Harry said, "She has quite the touch."

"I never thought she'd use that in a game," Ginny said. "She said it was because of how long the game had gone on. She was getting pretty tired and couldn't control herself. She blacked out, and next thing she knew, she had her hands around the Snitch, and medi-wizards were crowding around Puddlemere's Seeker on the ground. Gwenog didn't sound as if she really cared, though. She might have something to say about it on Tuesday, when our next practice is, but right now she's just too happy."

"She should be!" Mrs. Weasley said, "As should you. Great game!"

"Thanks, Mum," Ginny said, "Well, I need to go see some of the fans."

"We're going to head to The Leaky Cauldron," Mr. Weasley said, "You can catch up."

"Deal," Ginny said, and followed the rest of the team toward the crowd of roaring fans.

==========================================  
**Chapter finished! Couldn't figure anything after that! Hope you liked the Quidditch Match. Never wrote one in the PoV of part of the audience, only with the players! But the situation called for it.**

Hermione's Birthday will come in two chapters, but got to do something for the next chapter first!

Hope you liked the chapter! Feedback would be awesome!

**P.S. I got into Pottermore Beta the first day! Hell yeah! **


	40. Mistaken Identity

**Chapter 40  
Mistaken Identity**

**Author's Note: Sorry for the mistake in Chapter number in my last chapter. That is what I get for posting chapters late at night. Haha. Also I'd like to apologize for the delay. I've been busy with other things lately. **

**I was going to wait to reveal who the new neighbors were, for those people who didn't really figure it out, but what I planned out wouldn't work out, so the beginning part of this chapter will have to do with that. This chapter will revisit a scene in the previous chapter, except in a different PoV. **

(Draco's PoV)

Draco didn't like his new house. It was too cramped, too unlike Malfoy Manor, and too Muggle-ish. It also only had one bedroom. One bedroom wouldn't have been too bad if he was living by himself. But he was roommates with Pansy Parkinson, because of a new mission Daphne had given them.

Draco was really starting to regret his original idea of going to that first meeting more than two weeks ago. If he hadn't gone, he wouldn't have been stuck in this stupid situation. He wouldn't have had to worry about his parents finding out that he was mixed up with a bad crowd again. He wouldn't have to worry about Astoria finding out he was around Pansy Parkinson again, which had been the one person he promised Astoria he would stay away from.

And now he and Pansy were living together cause of this stupid mission. He couldn't even call it a mission. He and Pansy were acting like Muggles, spying on Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. But why? Daphne gave strict orders not to do anything to Weasley and Granger. They just had to watch them. Of course, that part of this whole ordeal wasn't too bad, or so he had thought. Because he and Pansy had had a close call the day before... a very close call...

_Flashback..._

_Draco was laying on the couch, reading one of the Muggle books that Pansy had brought with her when they moved into the house. The books weren't the only things that had to do with Muggles. Almost everything in the house was something that would normally be seen in a Muggle house._

_This had all been Daphne's idea. Draco and Pansy were to pass off as a Muggle couple, which meant they had to live like Muggles. Draco felt like he was in hell. This was worse than the safe-house he had been in._

_Pansy, on the other hand seemed to be enjoying it. At the moment, she was unpacking things and placing them around the house. She was also making a lot of noise, while doing it. Pansy set down a lamp rather hard on the coffee table near Draco. Draco was surprised she hadn't broken it._

_"Could you be more quiet, please?" Draco asked Pansy as he stared at his book, "I'm reading here."_

_"You could help me, you know," Pansy said._

_"No, thank you," Draco said._

_"Draco, I know you hate this," Pansy said, "But we are going to be living together, while we watch that blood traitor and his Mudblood fiancee. So you better get used to it."_

_"Well, I'm sorry if I'm being complicating," Draco said, sarcasm ringing in his voice, "We're not exactly in the best position here. I mean... you had to go and purchase a one bedroom house, didn't you?"_

_"We're supposed to be posing as a young couple with no kids," Pansy said, "It would look strange if we had two bedrooms."_

_"Maybe we're a couple with relationship problems," Draco said, "I'm sure we'll have no problem passing that off."_

_"What is your problem?" Pansy asked._

_"You don't get it, do you?" Draco asked. "My problem is having to stay in a house with you. You do remember that I am with Astoria, right?"_

_"How could I forget?" Pansy scoffed, "You mention her all the time."_

_"Because I'm in love with her," Draco said._

_Pansy stared at him._

_"You love her?" she asked, scoffing. "I doubt it. She's not your type."_

_Draco slammed his book on the coffee table and stood up. He looked at her._

_"Wrong," Draco said, "I've changed quite a bit since you and I broke up. Astoria is a great girl, and I will not let anything ruin my relationship with her."_

_Draco thought he could see tears in Pansy's eyes. He hardly cared._

_"You still have feelings for me," Pansy said. "I know you do. I'll find a way to prove it."_

_"I'd like to see you try," Draco said._

_Pansy walked over to him and kissed him. She had done it before he could react, and for some reason unknown to him, he was letting her kiss him. He had forgotten how her lipstick tasted, and how much he had used to like it. She wrapped her arms around him, and Draco did the only thing his mind could think of at the moment. He kissed her back and held her face in his hands._

_Suddenly, a knocking sound interrupted them. They let go of each other, and Pansy spun around._

_"Look out the window!" she ordered Draco._

_Draco's kiss with Pansy was still going through his head as he walked over to the window. His eyes widenedas he peered through the curtains._

_"It's them," Draco said._

_Pansy's eyes widened._

_"Bugger!" she said, "What could they be doing here?"_

_"Probably greeting their new neighbors," Draco said._

_Pansy narrowed her eyes._

_"Okay," she said, "I'll tell them to wait a moment, and then we'll take the Polyjuice Potion. Go get it ready. Now."_

_Draco nodded. Pansy walked over to the door, and Draco walked toward the hallway._

_"Hello?" Pansy asked._

_"Hi!" Hermione Granger's voice said, "We're your neighbors from up the street. We saw that you just moved in and thought we'd welcome you. We... er... brought you cookies."_

_"Er... how lovely," Pansy said, "I'm not exactly decent. Can you wait a couple of minutes?"_

_"Sure!" Hermione said._

_"I'll be right there!" Pansy said, "Sorry!"_

_Pansy turned around and Draco realized he was still standing in the opening of the hallway._

_"What are you doing?" Pansy said, "I told you to prepare the potion! Go! We only have a couple of minutes to do this!"_

_"You had to be nice," Draco said, as they walked into the bathroom, "You could have told them to come back later."_

_"I'm sorry," Pansy said, nastily._

_She bet down and opened the cupboard below the sink. She took out a large plastic bottle with a mud-like potion inside, as well as two glasses and two small boxes.._

_"I was distracted by you kissing me," Pansy said, as she opened the bottle._

_"You kissed me," Draco said._

_"You kissed me back," Pansy said, "Don't deny it."_

_Pansy grinned, as she poured the Polyjuice Potion into the cups._

_"Get the hairs out," Pansy said, "And don't mix them up."_

_"Like I want to be a girl," Draco said, rolling his eyes._

_A minute later, they had transformed. Draco looked at himself in the mirror. He had short red hair that grossly resembled a Weasley. Draco looked at Pansy, as he followed her out of the bathroom. She had long blonde hair and a rather slim body. She looked rather attractive._

_"The potion only lasts an hour," Draco said, "So don't get too comfortable with Weasley and Granger."_

_"As if," Pansy said, scoffing. "Grab your book and sit in that chair. Don't mess this up, Draco. Or should I say Parker."_

_He was about to ask what Pansy would be named, but he realized he didn't care. As Pansy walked over to the door, Draco grabbed the book from the table and sat down in the rocking chair. Draco listened to the conversation at the door._

_"Hello!" Pansy said._

_"Hi," Hermione said, "We're your neighbors from up the street. We thought we'd come and welcome you to the neighborhood. I'm Hermione, and this is Ron."_

_"Hi," Ron said._

_"What a lovely gesture!" Pansy said, "My name is Lauren. My husband, Parker, is just inside. You can come in if you want to."_

_Draco rolled his eyes. Why was Pansy being so kind to them?_

_"Well, actually," Ron said, "We need to be -"_

_"We'd love to," Hermione said, "If only just for a little bit."_

_"Come on in," Pansy said._

_Draco returned his attention to his book, as Pansy led Ron and Hermione in._

_"Parker, honey," Pansy said, "We have guests. This is Ron and... I'm sorry, dear, I don't know how you pronounced it."_

_Draco tried his best not to roll his eyes. Pansy knew how to pronounce Granger's name. Such a lame attempt at trying to pass off as strangers._

_"Hermione," Hermione said, grinning._

_Draco looked up at Ron and Hermione._

_"Nice to meet you," he said._

_"They brought some biscuits," Pansy said._

_Draco looked at the tray of cookies._

_"Delicious," he said._

_"Parker and I just moved here from France," Pansy said, "Parker has a job in... actually I'm not supposed to talk about it. Confidential stuff, if you get my meaning. What about you?"_

_Draco stared at Pansy. A confidential job? What the hell was she playing at?_

_"I'm a dentist," Hermione said "Ron is a..."_

_"Also a dentist!" Ron said._

_Dentist? Draco had no idea what that meant._

_"Well, then," Pansy said, "We might have to look you up, then! Especially if we have at these lovely looking cookies. I'm just going to put these in the kitchen. Feel free to sit down and make yourselves at home."_

_Pansy smiled and walked into the kitchen, leaving Draco alone with Hermione and Ron. They were whispering something, but Draco couldn't hear it. He thought he should say something to them, to appear friendly, but he didn't know what. He didn't know if he was a friend or enemy to them right now. He wondered what a Muggle would say in this position. He then figured it out, hoping it would pass off. Ron and Hermione probably didn't know anything about it anyway._

_"So," Draco said, "Do you two like football?"_

_"Love it!" Ron said, chuckling, "Can't get enough."_

_Draco stared at Ron. Did he know what football was, or was he just trying to act like a Muggle? Pansy returned._

_"Well, I'm sure you still have loads to unpack," Ron said, "We actually have something we need to attend to. We just wanted to say hello and welcome you to the neighborhood. I'm sure we'll see each other again._

_"Are you sure?" Pansy asked._

_"Er... yeah," Hermione said, "We couldn't stay long. We just wanted to give you the cookies and say hello."_

_"Oh... well, okay," Pansy said, "Thank you for the cookies. I'm sure we'll see each other again."_

_"Yes," Hermione said._

_Pansy led Ron and Hermione out of the house. Draco stood up and went to the window. They were heading back up the street._

_"Ugh, I thought they'd never leave!" Pansy muttered._

_"Really?" Draco asked, "You seemed pretty eager to invite them in."_

_"We have to look friendly, Draco," Pansy said, "Daphne's orders. We can't look like a threat. We're just supposed to look like a couple of neighbors."_

_"Right," Draco said, "Funny how they were trying so hard to pass off as Muggles. What is a dentist?"_

_"It's a Muggle job, I guess," Pansy said, "They work on people's teeth. I think Hermione's parents are dentists. That must have been where they got the idea."_

_"So?" Draco asked, "What do we do now?"_

_"We could go back to what we were doing before they interrupted us," Pansy said, grinning._

_Draco rolled his eyes._

_"That was a mistake," he said. "It'll never happen again."_

_Pansy just grinned._

_"What?" Draco asked._

_"We'll see about that," Pansy said._

_Draco scoffed and went back to his book._

_Flashback ends..._

"Since when did you know how to cook?" Pansy asked.

Draco snapped out of his thoughts. He realized he was still standing in the kitchen cooking bacon and eggs.

"I had to cook for myself when I lived alone," Draco said, "I certainly didn't have any house-elves with me to do it."

"Oh," Pansy said, "Well, I find that rather admirable."

Draco rolled his eyes. He knew she was trying to flirt with him again. He decided he needed to change the subject rather quickly.

"I was thinking about something while trying to get to sleep," he said.

"Probably how that couch is so uncomfortable," Pansy said. "You know, you could sleep in the bed with me."

"No, thank you," Draco said, "What I was thinking was... Weasley looked rather suspicious yesterday. I noticed his eyes kept darting around the room. I think he was trying to figure out if we're Muggles or something more."

"Oh?" Pansy asked.

"Yeah," Draco said. "You – er – don't seem very worried about that."

Pansy smiled. "They won't figure out who we are," she said, "Trust me."

"What do you mean?" Draco asked. "Do you forget that Weasley's father is a rather highly-ranked in the Ministry now thanks to the new Minister being chums with him. Arthur Weasley knows how to get answers. All Ron has to do is ask him to find out about the current wizarding census."

"Not a problem," Pansy said, grinning.

Draco stared at Pansy. What was she playing at? Was this another one of her tricks, or was she thick enough to not worry about such obvious problems?

-  
**(Hermione's PoV)**

Breakfast was magically cooking on the stove, as Hermione sat at the table doing research for the Dragon case tomorrow in front of the Wizengamot. She looked up just in time to see Ron passing by the kitchen door and heading toward the living room. She didn't need to ask him what he was doing, because it was rather obvious.

"Ron," Hermione said, "You don't need to spy on our new neighbors."

"I do," Ron said, walking back toward the kitchen, and looking at her, "Constant Vigilance. At least until I know that they can be trusted. There is just something about them. I swear I saw a portrait moving in their house yesterday, and I need to know."

"Maybe you -" Hermione began, then sighed and shook her head.

"What, Hermione?" Ron asked.

"Maybe you were seeing things," Hermione said. "You did seem rather nervous to meet them. It happens."

"I don't think I was seeing things," Ron said.

Hermione sighed and looked back down at her parchment. Ron sat down in the chair across from her.

"You don't think they're wizards, do you?" Ron asked.

"I see no reason to think that, yet," Hermione said. "We haven't seen a single owl coming out or in their house. And that is the most common use of communication."

"Maybe they don't have friends," Ron said, "They just moved from France. Or said they did."

"They don't have a fireplace," Hermione said, "As close as their house resembles this one, that is one of the things that is different. Wizards rely so much on Floo Powder these days, that they'd want a house with a fireplace."

"Well," Ron said, "Didn't you say your boss had a portable fireplace? Maybe they have one of those."

"Magic leaves traces, Ronald," Hermione said, "You know that. You don't think either of us could pick up a trace?"

"I told you," Ron said, "I did pick up a trace. That portrait!"

"Maybe it was a shadow," Hermione said.

Ron sighed. Hermione dropped her quill then took Ron's closest hand in hers.

"I know you think they are wizards," Hermione said, "I know you want to keep constant vigilance. I admire that. It is what will make you a great Auror. But until we know whether or not they are wizards, we have to keep an open mind about it. We can't just think they are wizards, and then reveal that we are also wizards. How would that look if it turns out they are Muggles?"

"Okay, I see your point," Ron said, "We'll wait for -"

Suddenly, Hermione heard a light tapping sound coming from the window behind her. She turned quickly. A Ministry owl was sitting there.

"We already have the Daily Prophet," Hermione said.

"Must be from Dad!" Ron said, "He did go into work today. Maybe he already found out about our new neighbors."

Ron jumped up and walked over to the window. He took the roll of parchment from the owl, and dropped a sickle into the owl's pocket. The owl flew off. Ron sat down at the table and unrolled the parchment. Hermione watched Ron's eyes as they darted back and forth. A couple minutes later, Ron sighed and set the parchment down.

"You were right," he said.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"According to Dad," Ron said, "the census couldn't find a single trace of magic in the residence. The only traces of magic around here have come from our house. The Ministry looked up their names too. They are who they say they are. They're Muggles."

"So it is finished?" Hermione asked.

"I guess so," Ron said, frowning. "Some great Auror-in-Training I am. Can't even tell a Muggle from a wizard."

"Ron," Hermione said, soothingly, "Anyone of our kind could make the same mistake. Especially if they were in your position. You will make great Auror. You wanted to make sure that they were being honest. I admire that."

Ron smiled.

"I wont spy on them anymore," he said. "I promise."

"Good," Hermione said, "leave them be. Besides, it might be nice to have a couple of Muggle friends. They seemed pretty nice."

"Yeah," Ron said, "They did, didn't they?"

Hermione smiled and returned her attention to her research. She would be very busy the next day with the court case, even if she was just a lawyer's assistant.

-  
**(Draco's PoV)**

Draco stared at Pansy. While Draco was eating his breakfast, Pansy had just tried to explain her reasons as to why they wouldn't any problems with Weasley and Granger finding out who they were.

"So, let me get this straight," Draco said. "The census – that is the Ministry of Magic wizard census – believes we're Muggles?"

"Yes," Pansy said, grinning.

"Even though there have been numerous traces of magic running through this house?" Draco asked.

"Yes," Pansy said.

"How did that happen?" Draco asked.

"Take a wild guess," Pansy said.

Draco thought of the possibilities. He then realized that it was obvious.

"We have someone on the inside in the Ministry?" Draco asked.

"Very good," Pansy said, "Yes, Draco. All they have to do is watch out for anyone who decides to go snooping around in the census department, and use a simple Confundus Charm. If the Mudblood and her blood-traitor lover even think there is a trace of magic here, it'll end up on the records as their residence being the only trace of magic on this whole block. We're in the clear to do our mission. And Granger and Weasley won't even know the difference."

Pansy grinned and walked out of the kitchen. Draco grinned as he watched her walk out. Pansy was rather smart about this whole thing. He just wondered if he admired or for that... or if it made her much more dangerous.

-  
**Wow, I love this chapter! Sets up the future of this story rather well! What will Draco do about this? Is he still trying to figure out how to prevent Pansy and the rogue wizards from doing what they are set out to do? Or has Pansy gotten him wrapped around her finger? You'll have to wait and see!**

**As I said before, sorry for the big delay. Was pretty busy, and ten I realized what I wanted to do with this chapter. Hope you liked it!**


	41. Surejan Dragon Reserve Vs The Wizengamot

**Chapter 41  
Surejan Dragon Reserve vs. The Wizengamot**

**Author's Note: I've gotten a lot of praise for the Draco/Astoria/Pansy love triangle I am creating. I will definitely try to explore more of it and use it as a back plot to the story. I have a couple of planned chapters, mostly for Ron and Hermione, but after I do these, I might get back to that part. **

**(Ron's PoV)**

When Ron arrived in the kitchen early the next morning, breakfast was finished, and Hermione was sitting at the table with her nose in a book. Ron looked at the title. It read: "Modern Wizarding Laws".

Ron put one of the breakfast buns on a plate and walked over to the table. As he sat down, Hermione slammed the book down and shut it.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today," Ron said.

"Not possible," Hermione said, "You were blocking it."

"Why are you so grouchy this morning?" Ron said.

"I'm just nervous about this court case today," Hermione said. "I know Brady is going to need all the help he can get. That is why I've been looking through books the past couple of days."

"Have you?" Ron asked, "I hardly noticed."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I guess I am back to my old self again, huh?" she asked.

"I have no problem with that," Ron said, "as long as you don't tell me off for not doing homework, when I haven't had any for months now."

Hermione grinned, then frowned again.

"It is this dragon case," she said, "Probably the most difficult case I've ever seen, and I've seen plenty when I was the Scribe for the Wizengamot. But this... the Romanian Wizengamot are going to be right alongside our own Wizengamot. The Romanian Wizengamot isn't like ours, Ron. They have a history for being one of the most grouchiest groups of lawmen in the world, wizarding and Muggle. Brady's going to have his hands full. I was trying to look for some way to help him. And I can't find anything in this bloody book."

"Nothing about court cases in Modern Wizarding Laws?" Ron asked, with a smirk.

"Nothing about defending dragons," Hermione said, with a scoff, "Or mad lawmen pent on making sure the Surejan Dragon Reserve is to blame."

"The dragon escaped from the reserve, Hermione," Ron said, "Don't you think they are to blame?"

"How could you say that, Ron?" Hermione said, "You're brother works there. He could lose his job! You know how much he loves his job."

"I do," Ron said, "But Hermione, I'm looking at the facts."

"The facts have to be wrong," Hermione said. "There is something we're missing."

She sighed and stood up, then proceeded to stand up to get herself a plate of food.

"Well, in my opinion," Ron said, "There really shouldn't be a case. They shouldn't focus on the dragon escape. They need to focus on how we stopped more dragons from being stolen."

Suddenly, Ron heard a clatter, as Hermione dropped her plate on the counter. She turned and walked over to Ron, then swooped in on him, and kissed him deeply on the lips.

"What was that for?" Ron asked, grinning.

"You are a genius!" Hermione said, "And I need to go to the Ministry. Thank you, Ron!"

"What – but – Hermione?" Ron called after her, as she walked out of the kitchen, "You're case doesn't start till noon!"

Hermione turned at the doorway.

"I have to go in now," Hermione said, "Brady's going to want to hear this."

"At least eat something first," Ron said.

Hermione smiled, walked over to the counter and picked up a breakfast bun. She waved at Ron, then hurried back out of the kitchen. A couple minutes later, Ron heard the tell-tale signs of Hermione using the Floo Network. He turned back to his breakfast, clueless as to what was going on.

"Mental, that one!" he muttered, shaking his head..

Half-an-hour later, Ron walked into the lifts at the Ministry. Before the lifts closed, Harry walked in.

"Morning, Ron!" Harry said.

"Hello," Ron said.

"Did your father find anything about your new neighbors?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," Ron said, "They're Muggles."

"You're sure?" Harry asked.

"Dad said there were no reported traces of magic coming from the house," Ron said.

"And the portrait you saw?" Harry asked.

"Hermione figured that I must have seen a shadow moving or something," Ron said, "It's possible, I guess."

"What did you learn when you talked to them?" Harry asked.

"The bloke has a confidential job," Ron said, "Probably Muggle government. He also likes football."

"Well, that settles it," Harry said, "They are definitely Muggles. Most wizards have no idea what football is."

"Yeah," Ron said, "I guess so." 

"So how's Hermione?" Harry asked, "Still clueless about your birthday plans for her tomorrow?"

"She only knows I have something planned," Ron said, "And that we'll also be going to your house for her party."

"That's lucky," Harry said.

"I doubt she is even thinking about her birthday," Ron said, "This new case is distracting her. You should have seen there this morning. She was so nervous and upset about the whole thing. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, she has some sort of inspiration or something, and ran out of the kitchen and headed for the Ministry. She almost forgot to eat breakfast."

"Oh, well, then," Harry said, "You have nothing to worry about."

"Oh?" Ron asked.

"Yeah," Harry said, "Nervous? Sudden inspirations? Too busy to eat? That's normal for her, mate."

Ron laughed. "You have a point there," he said.

**(Hermione's PoV)**

Twenty minutes till noon, Hermione and Brady were in the lifts, heading for the bottom floor.

"You're sure about this, Hermione?" Brady asked. "Because if you are, this could win the case for us."

"I'm sure of it, Brady," Hermione said, "I used to be the Court Respondent for the Wizengamot, remember? I know how they work. Just make them see the truth, and make them realize there is something else at play besides a dragon with a mental case."

"You realize you'll have to be a witness for our defense if we go through with this?" Brady asked, "They're going to want witnesses to back this whole thing up. I may have been there, but they aren't going to let us get away with just my story."

"I'll say my part," Hermione said, as the doors to the lift opened. "You don't worry about that."

"If we do well on this one, Hermione," Brady said, as they walked out, "I'll give you your birthday off and any other days you wish. This could save my backside and I'd have you to thank for it."

Hermione grinned, and they headed down the steps to the Courtrooms. The case would be in Courtroom B, the only room big enough to hold the collaboration of British and Romanian wizards who would be the Wizengamot for the case. They walked into the courtroom, and Hermione realized how crowded it was. The Romanian and British Wizengamot were seated, and there were no empty seats in that section, except for one. Whoever would be sitting in it, had not arrived yet.

Hermione saw Susan wave at her, and she waved back.

"Ah, Charlie!" Brady said, as Charlie Weasley walked over toward him and Hermione, "Thank you for coming."

"I needed to be here for my reserve," Charlie said, "Even if I can't do anything."

"I think you actually can do something," Brady said. "You were present at the reserve the day of the escape, right?"

"Yeah, of course," Charlie said.

"Okay," Brady said, "Perfect. You'll definitely be some help. Here's what you're going to have to do."

Hermione listened as Brady told Charlie of the updated plans for their defense.

"Wow, you really think this could work," Charlie said, after Brady finished.

"Hermione does," Brady said, looking at Hermione.

"Actually, Charlie," Hermione said, grinning, "Ron gave me the idea."

"Ron, my brother?" Charlie asked, giving a skeptical chuckle.

"Hey!" Hermione said, offended at the apparent insult toward Ron, "I wouldn't have thought of this if he hadn't done it first."

"He probably doesn't even realize what he thought of," Charlie said, "It would be the first time."

Hermione rolled her eyes. The three of them sat down together on the defense's side of the room. As Hermione looked around, she noticed there was no press in attendance at all. The Public Security Department really had removed the Daily Prophet, and other public relation departments out of the picture.

"Bugger," Brady muttered beside Hermione, "I should have known he'd be here for this."

Hermione looked at Brady, who was looking at the doorway to the courtroom. She then realized what Brady had meant. Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt was walking into the room. She then realized who that empty chair in the Wizengamot section was for. Kingsley was going to be a part of the prosecution for this case.

"What does his participation mean for us?" Charlie asked.

"It means," Brady said, "that the Public Security Department is going to have a big part to play in this case. We'll be lucky if we can say three about the attacks on the reserve without interruption from the Minister."

"Can we still use that for our defense?" Hermione asked.

"I'll make sure of it," Brady said, "Even if it costs me my job."

Hermione's eyes widened as she realized the repercussions this day could bring.

"We don't have to use that defense, Brady," Hermione said, "I would hate for you to lose your job just because of some brainstorm I had at the last minute."

"You brought me a gift, Hermione," Brady said, "I'm not going to waste it."

"We will now begin the next case," Herb Morrison said.

"Surejan Dragon Reserve vs. The Wizengamot," Susan Bones said, standing up, "The prosecution: the British Wizengamot, the Romanian Wizengamot and Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt. Honorable Head Judge Herbert Morrison presiding. Representing the defense is Brady Sexton of the Department for the Regulation and control of Magical Creatures."

"Mr. Sexton," Herb said, "please rise and take your place."

"Good luck," Hermione whispered.

Brady smiled.

"Don't make yourself look like a witness just yet, Hermione," he whispered to her.

Before Hermione could reply, Brady stood and walked to the center of the courtroom.

"Mr. Sexton, can you please name any witnesses may have for this case in advance?" Herb asked.

"Your Honor, if it is all right with the Wizengamot," Brady said, "I wish to withhold my witnesses identities until I see fit."

Hermione raised her eyebrows. It looked as if Brady was going for the element of surprise.

"I would like to hear your reasons for doing so, Mr. Sexton," Herb said.

"They play a big role in my defense, Your Honor," Brady said, "And I don't want to give away everything before I even say a word on the matter."

Hermione looked on as Kingsley whispered something to Herb. Herb nodded and looked back at Brady.

"I just want to clear something," Herb said, "There is no criminal history with your witnesses, is there, Mr. Sexton?"

"No, sir," Brady said. "I believe they hold a high enough reputation in the wizarding world to pass off as trustworthy."

"We will allow it, then," Herb said.

"Thank you, Your Honor," Brady said.

"Let us begin, then," Herb said. "Two weekends ago, a Romanian Longhorn Dragon, one of the dragons of the Surejan Dragon Reserve, escaped from its holding pen and proceeded to find a small Romanian Muggle village, and proceeded to burn it down. It also wrecked a rather famous Muggle castle in the area. The Obliviators from the Romanian Ministry of Magic were at the disaster site to mend the memories of every Muggle witness. The Romanian Longhorn was captured shortly after and brought back to the Surejan Dragon Reserve. This case today is to discover who is the guilty party in this situation."

Many of the members of the Romanian Wizengamot muttered to each other. Hermione thought Herb would quiet them down, but she was surprised when he just looked at them briefly, then returned his attention to Brady.

"Damn it," Hermione whispered, as she realized.

"What's wrong?" Charlie asked.

"The Romanians and our Wizengamot aren't in collaboration as I previously thought," Hermione said, shaking her head, "Our Head Judge has no control over them. He usually tells the members of the Wizengamot to settle down. I don't think he is allowed to say that to the Romanians. This has turned into a circus."

"A what?" Charlie asked.

Hermione was about to explain, but Herb began to speak again.

"Mr. Sexton," Herb said, "Would you please give your opening statement?"

"Yes, your Honor," Brady said.

He looked over at Hermione, who gave him an encouraging smile.

"Facts," Brady said, as he looked around at the Wizengamot. "That is what you are going to hear today. The truth. The only question is... will you believe them? I very much hope so. You will tell us your own facts. Some of which can't be argued against. A dragon escaped from the Surejan Dragon Reserve, but as of right now, none of us can agree as to how it escaped."

A few of the Romanian Wizengamot members muttered again.

"The dragon proceeded," Brady continued, "to fly away, not to the safety of a new home where it could possibly live out the rest of its days in freedom, like many creatures would usually do. No... it proceeded to find a small Muggle village, and decided it would attack it. I must say... it seems rather strange for a dragon, with years of solitude and training in the Surejan Dragon Reserve, to just attack a village unprovoked."

"Accusations!" one of the Romanian Wizengamot members said, standing up. "Are you trying to tell us you think a Muggle would provoke a dragon?"

Brady and Hermione looked up at Herb. He looked rather disturbed, but didn't say anything.

"Not even allowing the defense's opening statement to go uninterrupted," Hermione muttered, "What rubbish."

"Didn't you used to work with the Head Judge?" Charlie asked.

"Sure," Hermione said, "The Herb Morrison I know wouldn't let someone interrupt an opening statement. He's definitely got his tongue tied by the Romanian presence today."

"Well, sir," Brady said, to the Romanian, "Tell me this. If you were a Muggle..."

The Romanian accuser scoffed. Hermione shook her head. Brady had been right about the Romanian Ministry of Magic's opinion of Muggles.

"If you were a Muggle," Brady repeated, "Would you be surprised if you saw a dragon flying over head?"

"Of course," the Romanian said, "But -"

"Would you not scream in terror?" Brady asked, "And as such, possibly provoke the dragon?"

"Muggles don't always see things in front of their face," another Romanian said, "You cannot tell us that they would have seen this dragon."

"That is true," Brady said. "As such, this leads me back to my statement. We don't know why the dragon attacked the village. Since Muggles probably didn't notice the dragon until it was right on top of their village, they didn't provoke it. This, of course, would lead many of you to believe the dragon attacked on his own accord."

"Impossible," Charlie said, "Not with the facts we know."

"The Wizengamot don't know the facts yet, Charlie," Hermione reminded him.

"One of the witnesses for the defense that you will hear from today," Brady continued, "will explain how well-trained the dragon in question was. Then we can see just how impossible an unprovoked attack would be. I encourage all of you in this room to be open-minded about this situation. Think of what could have happened. Do not judge your opinion on the facts you know. Judge your opinion the facts you will find out today."

Brady bowed and looked at the Wizengamot to let then know he was finished.

"Thank you, Mr. Sexton," Herb said, "You say that you have facts for us, which we in the Wizengamot have no knowledge of. Would you please tell us these facts?"

"Yes, Your Honor," Brady said. "I'm sure many of you are aware of the recent attacks on the Surejan Dragon Reserve by an outside, unknown, source?"

Chatter started around the Wizengamot, and Hermione noticed that this time it wasn't just the Romanians who were in the middle of it. Suddenly, Kingsley Shacklebolt stood up.

"Mr. Sexton," Kingsley said, "I would be careful how you tread these waters. I'm sure you are aware that under the recent Security Act, that the Public Security Department, and the Auror Department, are in charge of investigating such incidents. It has no business being investigated by someone in your department."

"No offense, Minister," Brady said, "But I would argue against that point. This incident has much to do with this case today, sir."

"The incident in question happened days after the dragon escape," Kingsley said.

Brady smiled. "I think it would be appropriate to to call my first witness to the stand," he said, "If that is all right with the Wizengamot?"

"You may do so," Herb said.

"I would like to call Charlie Weasley to the stand," Brady said.

Hermione watched as Charlie stood up, walked over to the center of the room, and sat down in a chair that had appeared there.

"As it is your witness," Herb said, "I think you can ask your questions first."

"Thank you, Your Honor," Brady said, then turned to Charlie. "You are Charlie Weasley, is this correct?"

"Yes," Charlie said.

"What is your current career?" Brady asked.

"I am one of the dragon trainers at the Surejan Dragon Reserve," Charlie said.

"You are one of the more experienced trainers in the Reserve?" Brady asked, "Is that so?"

"I would like to think so," Charlie said, "I do have many years of experience."

"You are familiar with the dragon in question?" Brady asked, "The Romanian Longhorn?"

"Yes," Charlie said.

"Could you please take a moment to get the rest of us familiar with this creature?" Brady asked.

"The dragon in question has been on our Reserve since its birth," Charlie said.

Brady raised his hand to stop Charlie for a moment.

"So it has known no other home?" he asked.

"No," Charlie sad.

"How would that affect the mind of a dragon?" Brady asked, "When it doesn't have the knowledge of freedom."

"We like to believe the dragons at the Reserve have their freedoms," Charlie said, "But I do know what you mean. It has known no other sanctuary or home."

"Has it ever had a desire for freedom?" Brady asked.

"I am not sure," Charlie said, "But if I had to take a guess, I would say it is possible. Though his personality hasn't been extreme until this incident. It surprised us all."

"Describe the training given to the dragon," Brady said.

"Most of our dragons are used for events or shows," Charlie said. "We had four dragons present for the last Triwizard Tournament a few years back. This dragon was trained for the possibility of public exposure to the wizarding world."

"Public exposure?" Brady asked.

"We were trying to make it feel safe around wizards," Charlie said, "So that wizards around the world could admire it at events. That is a big part of our monetary revenue for our Reserve."

"Was your training working?" Brady asked.

"We believe so," Charlie said, "It was very used to us."

"Do you see any reason as to why it would want to escape or leave your Reserve?" Brady asked.

"It is very well treated at the Reserve," Charlie said. "Freedom is a possibility, but we try to give our dragons as much freedom as we can inside the valley."

"Take us back to the day of the escape," Brady said. "Can you tell us what happened?"

"A few of the trainers," Charlie said, "were doing their daily rounds. This consists of Training dragons, feeding them and making sure they were healthy enough for a day of training."

"What were you doing?" Brady asked.

"I was training the new recruits that had come in," Charlie said, "They had just gone through a rigorous few hours of the welcoming process."

"Were you happy with these recruits?" Brady said. "Were they trustworthy?"

"They were like normal recruits," Charlie said. "A couple of them seemed scared of the dragons. Three of them had gotten injured at one point during the day. In fact, this happened shortly before the alleged escape."

"So is it possible that one of these recruits," Brady said, "could have simply let the Romanian Longhorn out of its pen?"

"It is possible," Charlie said.

Many of the members of both Wizengamots started to mutter to each other. Brady smiled and turned to the Wizengamot.

"That is all I have for this witness," he said, "You may proceed."

"Mr. Weasley," Herb said, "Do you have a list of the recruits' names with you today?"

"Yes, sir," Charlie said.

Charlie looked at Hermione, then nodded below the chair he was seated in. Hermione found a bag and brought it over to Charlie, then sat back down. Charlie took out a piece of paper. Herb nodded to Susan, and Susan walked down the steps toward Charlie, then took the paper and returned to Herb.

"So three of these recruits were injured during the process?" Herb asked, as he looked through the paper. "Three out of seven. Almost half."

"There were eight recruits that day, sir," Charlie said.

"There are seven names on this sheet you gave us," Herb said, "Are you saying there was an unofficial recruit there with you that day?"

"I – I guess so, Your Honor," Charlie said.

"You knew nothing about this?" Herb said.

"The recruits had passed a pretty rigorous process," Charlie said, "As I have said. I assumed that they were all there to be part of the future of the Reserve."

"This is rubbish!" a Romanian member of the Wizengamot said, "Obviously he is lying. The evidence says seven, and the witness says eight. Obviously he is hoping we cannot identify this eighth person, and he can tell a story about how this mysterious person let the dragon go."

"There were eight that day, sir," Charlie said. "I know because I only usually train five at a time. I had complained because of the three extra recruits."

"So where did this extra person come from?" Herb asked.

"I think I can answer that for you," Brady said, "But for that I will need to call my next witness. If you have no more need for this witness -"

"We may call him back if need be," Herb said, "I'd like to hear what your next witness has to say."

Brady nodded to Charlie and he stood up then walked back over to the chair next to Hermione's and sat down.

"For my next witness," Brady said, "I'd like to call Hermione Granger to the stand."

Hermione inhaled and stood up. Many of the British Wizengamot muttered to each other, and Herb stared at Hermione as she sat down.

"Your witness," Herb said, his eyes still on Hermione.

"You are Hermione Granger?" Brady asked.

"Yes," Hermione said.

"What is your career as of right now?" Brady asked.

"I work at the Department for the Regulation and control of Magical Creatures," Hermione said, "I am your assistant."

"What were you doing on the day of the attack, by unknown sources, at the Surejan Dragon Reserve?" Brady asked.

"I was at the Reserve during the attack," Hermione said, "With you."

"Mr. Sexton," Kingsley said, standing up, "May I remind you that the attack at the Reserve is not in question here."

"I will allow it," Herb said.

Kingsley turned and stared at Herb.

"Continue, Mr. Sexton," Herb said.

"Can you please recall the events of the attack, Miss Granger?" Brady asked.

"I was taking a tour of the reserve with Charlie Weasley," Hermione said, "When all of a sudden, we saw smoke in the distance. It was billowing over a hill, away from the valley. Charlie and a number of dragon trainers went to investigate the smoke, and you and I went to the security building to stay safe. We were accompanied by a security guard for the Reserve. I decided we needed to contact the Aurors here at the the British Ministry of Magic. I couldn't contact them, but I did contact Harry Potter and Charlie's brother, Ron Weasley, who were able to come."

"Are Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter here today?" Herb asked.

"There is no need for that," Kingsley said, "Their statements were already given and made official. I can back up Miss Granger's statement."

"Continue," Herb said to Hermione.

"Ron and Harry used Floo Powder to arrive at the Reserve," Hermione said. "Then there was an explosion near our building. A window was blown out of the building, and the security guard was killed in the process. The next thing I knew, the dragon trainers were retreating back toward the Reserve, and myself, Ron and Harry ran to see if we could be of assistance. Many of the trainers, including Charlie, were battling a large force of unknown attackers that had come. Then, they stopped for some reason, and..."

Hermione shook her head.

"And, Miss Granger?" Brady asked.

"They retreated," Hermione said, "They apparated."

"That is all?" Brady asked. "They just... retreated."

"One of them argued and complained before they retreated," Hermione said. "They said that they had orders. They needed to kidnap the dragons, because that was their mission. But the others didn't want any part of it, and they apparated. After that, it was over."

"Thank you, Miss Granger," Brady said, then turned to Herb. "Go ahead."

Herb looked at Hermione.

"No questions," Herb said.

Many of the Wizengamot muttered. Herb held his hand up to stop them.

"I have known Hermione Granger for a few months now," Herb said. "I trust what she says and I have no questions. You make take your seat, Miss Granger."

Hermione smiled and walked back to her seat.

"So," Brady said, "You've heard from my witnesses," Brady said. "You've heard of an unknown visitor – or I guess they should be referred to as an intruder – to the Reserve the day the dragon escaped. You've also heard the tale of an attack on the Reserve, which happened only days after the alleged escape. Even the British Minister of Magic is aware of statements of this event. Earlier I asked you to have an open mind. Now I wish for you to use that. Use these new facts presented today. Is it possible the dragon did not escape on its own? Is it possible the Surejan Dragon Reserve is not the blame for this event, but that an outside, unknown source is to blame? Is it possible that the dragon's escape was part of a plan to kidnap the dragons for uses that we can only imagine? That is what I ask you think about while you decide the fate of the reserve."

"Thank you, Mr. Sexton," Herb said, "I believe we have heard everything we need. I ask the Wizengamot to take a couple of minutes to make their decision if the Surejan Dragon Reserve is a guilty party here."

Brady sat back down.

"Well done, Brady," Hermione said.

"Well done, yourself," Brady said. "You told them exactly what they needed to hear."

For a couple of minutes, there was chatter among the Wizengamot, then Herb raised his hand to silence them.

"Against the evidence you have heard," he said, "If you believe the Surejan Dragon Reserve should take full responsibilities of its actions for the escape of the dragon, please raise your hand."

Hermione looked around. Quite a few members of the Romanian Wizengamot members raised their hands. Only a small handful of the British Wizengamot did as well.

"If you believe the Surejan Dragon Reserve," Herb said, "is innocent and had no part in the escape of the dragon, raise your hand."

Most of the British Wizengamot raised their hands, as did a few of the Romanian Wizengamot.

"The Surejan Dragon Reserve," Herb said, "is cleared of all charges!"

"Yes!" Brady and Charlie said, cheering lightly.

Brady gave Hermione a one-armed hug.

"Minister Shacklebolt," Herb said, "I believe we are finished. It seems you and the Public Security Department have some work ahead of you."

Kingsley nodded. Herb looked down at Hermione, and grinned. Hermione smiled back, and walked with Brady and Charlie out of the courtroom.

"I think that is all for today," Brady said, "Hermione, I hope you have a wonderful birthday. My gift to you is to take the day off. Hell, take as many as you need!"

"Thanks," Hermione said, "But I'll be back on Wednesday."

"That is what I wanted to hear," Brady said.

Hermione grinned and headed for the lifts. She couldn't wait to tell Ron the news. She had a lot to thank him for that day, and she would make sure he knew he earned it.

-  
**Wow this chapter was a lot longer than I thought it would be! I just kept writing.**

**Hope you liked it! Hermione's birthday is next!**


	42. Hermione's Birthday

**Chapter 42  
Hermione's Birthday**

**(Hermione's PoV)  
**

The morning of her twentieth birthday, Hermione was waken by a slight nudge on her shoulder.

"Psst! Hermione!" Ron's voice said.

Hermione opened her eyes a little, so that she was looking through her eyelashes. Ron was standing over her. She yawned and opened her eyes all the way.

"Wh-what time is it?" she asked.

"Seven-thirty," Ron said, "I have to go to work in thirty minutes."

"You couldn't get today off?" Hermione asked, sitting up.

"No, I told you that last night," Ron said.

"Oh, yeah," Hermione said, frowning.

"Don't worry," Ron said, grinning, "I'll be home long before it is time for my surprise gift."

"I'll still miss you," Hermione said, "Why did you wake me up?"

"Because," Ron said, moving to the side a bit, "I brought you breakfast."

Two trays, each with a plate of bacon and eggs and toast, and glasses of orange juice were floating in mid-air. Hermione's jaw dropped.

"Breakfast in bed?" she asked, "Oh, Ron! You didn't have to."

"Nonsense," Ron said, "I wanted to."

"Wasn't this in that _Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches _book?" Hermione asked.

"You never told me you found that book!" Ron said, blushing.

"Oops," Hermione said.

"Yes, it was," Ron said, "I just never got around to it until now."

Hermione sat up, and Ron passed her one of the trays. Ron took his and walked over to the other side of the bed and sat down. Hermione leaned over to him and kissed him.

"This is great," she said, "Thank you."

"So when are you going over to your parents' house?" Ron asked.

"Closer to noon," Hermione said, "A lunch celebration, though they haven't told me what we're having."

"That sounds nice," Ron said, before biting into a piece of toast.

"Mmhmm," Hermione said, "Which means I'll have plenty of time to spend with them, and then get back here to get ready for your surprise, and the party at Harry's house. You aren't going to give me any hints to your surprise, are you?"

"No," Ron said, shaking his head, "It would ruin the surprise."

"I need to know what to wear," Hermione said, "since we'll probably go from whatever you are planning straight to Harry's house afterward."

"Something casual," Ron said, "And not very loose-fitting."

"Something warm?" Hermione asked.

"Maybe," Ron said, "The temperature will vary. And that is all I'll say."

Hermione bit into her toast as she thought about what Ron's surprise could possibly be. She couldn't figure it out by the time she and Ron were finished with breakfast.

"Have to go," Ron said.

"Maybe you could take the morning off?" Hermione suggested.

"No can do," Ron said, "I even tried to request that, since I knew you'd be busy for the afternoon. Unfortunately, Allison decided to break the news yesterday that our next monthly exam would be starting next week, so I have to use all the training I can."

"Okay," Hermione said, "I'll see you later."

"Have fun with your parents," Ron said.

Hermione smiled and kissed him again. He then stood up and walked over the door. He turned and looked at her.

"Happy Birthday, Hermione," he said, smiling.

"Thank you, Ron," Hermione said, "I love you."

"I love you too," Ron said.

Hermione smiled and Ron left the room. She decided she could use a couple more hours of sleep, and returned back under the covers.

When it was close to noon, Hermione used Floo Powder and traveled to her parents' house. When she arrived in the living room, she cleared away the soot and dust that had come with her. She walked through the house, and finally found her parents in the back yard. Her mother was setting up a picnic table, and her father was cooking something on the grill.

"Hermione!" Helen said, "There you are."

"Hi, Mum," Hermione said, "Hi, Daddy."

"Happy birthday, honey," Richard said.

"Burgers?" Hermione guessed as she walked over to the grill.

"Yep," Richard said, "My own marinade."

"Let me guess," Hermione said, "No sugar added?"

"Of course!" Richard said, grinning.

"So has Ron planned anything for your birthday?" Helen asked.

"Yeah," Hermione said, "Except he won't tell me about it."

"Surprises are good," Richard said.

"He did serve me breakfast in bed this morning," Hermione said, grinning.

"Aww, how sweet of him," Helen said, then looked at her husband. "Remember when you used to do that for me for my birthday?"

"Sure," Richard said.

"Not in recent years, though, I've noticed," Helen said.

"It doesn't help when you are always up before me," Richard said.

"You sleep in too much," Helen said, grinning.

Hermione laughed.

Lunch was ready at half-past twelve.

"So, Hermione," Helen said, "Have you and Ron talked about a date for your wedding?"

"We've talked about it, yes, Mum," Hermione said, "But we haven't come to a decision yet. We're planning on either next spring or summer."

"That soon?" Richard asked.

"Yeah, Daddy," Hermione said, "I know I've told you Ron and I have wanted to get married sooner rather than later."

"I know that," Richard said, "It's just... twenty seems so young."

"Is this about that old promise of ours?" Hermione asked. "How you didn't want to be a grandfather until after you turned fifty?"

Hermione's father took a drink of his sugar-free lemonade, delaying any response. Hermione tried her best not to roll her eyes.

"Daddy," she said, "Ron and I haven't planned that far yet. We may not even want to start a family for a few years. We're just starting out on our careers. We have that to look forward to. Ron and I just feel that it will be time. We love each other more than you know."

"I do know," Richard said, "I can always tell when you are thinking about Ron, because you have that twinkle in your eye. It is the same twinkle I see in your mother's eye every day."

Helen grinned.

"Then you do understand," Hermione said. "It is just... I..."

She blushed as she thought about it.

"I want to be Mrs. Hermione Weasley," Hermione said, "I've wanted that for a while now."

"Well, I think it is wonderful," Helen said, "It is obvious how much you and Ron have thought about it. If it is what you want, we'll be happy for you. Both of us."

She glared at her husband.

"Of course we will," Richard said.

"Ron and I still have a lot to think about before we walk down the aisle," Hermione said.

"We'll help you," Helen said, "However we can."

"Unfortunately, I don't see how much you can help, Mum," Hermione said, "It's going to be a traditional wizard wedding. You can help me pick out a dress, though. I do want that to be a Mug –"

She caught herself. She didn't like saying the word 'Muggle' around her parents.

"I mean, I at least want that to be a non-magical part of my wedding," she said.

"I'm sure it'll be beautiful," Helen said, "I'd lend you my wedding dress, but you definitely aren't the body-type I was."

Hermione was going to say that she could magically make the dress fit her, then she realized her mother wouldn't probably appreciate the thought of her wedding dress being magically changed.

After lunch, Hermione's mother brought out a sugar-free apple cobbler with candles pressed into it. She grinned as her mother and father sang "Happy Birthday" to her, and she then made a wish and blew out the candles. After dessert, Helen brought out the presents.

There was the traditional basket of sugar-less candies. They also gave her a photo book of pictures of her and her parents throughout the years. Hermione felt tears in her eyes as she looked through it. Many of the pictures were of her before she found out she was a witch.

After lunch, Hermione went with her mother in the kitchen to help her do dishes.

"I suppose I should apologize for your father," Helen said, "bringing up age like that when it came to your wedding."

"Mum," Hermione said, "You don't have to do that. I had expected Daddy to bring up something like that. It's just something a father should do."

"You know," Helen said, "it was your father who mostly put that photo book together."

"He did?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Helen said, "I think he still sees you as that little girl you were before you found out you were a witch. When you were just his little girl and nothing more than that."

"These days I can hardly remember my life before I went to Hogwarts," Hermione admitted, "It just seems like another lifetime ago. I've dealt with so much since I became a witch. I haven't regretted a minute of it, because I've met so many wonderful people. If I wasn't a witch, I probably wouldn't have ever met Ron. I don't know what my life would be like without him."

"I guess the reason your father is taking this so hard," Helen said, "Is that he never had that traditional talk with Ron, before Ron proposed to you."

"You know why that is, though," Hermione said. "When Ron proposed to me, it was really spontaneous. Almost accidental. I, kind of, found the ring, and he proposed to me when he realized I did."

"I know that," Helen said. "But sometimes I wonder if your father does. Every father expects to walk down the aisle with their child at some point. I guess this has just been a surprise for him."

Hermione nodded.

After the dishes were finished, Hermione found her father, sitting on the picnic table. He was looking through the photo book. Hermione walked over to him, and hugged him, before sitting down.

"What was that for?" Richard asked.

"I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done," Hermione said. "Especially for your support for Ron and I."

"Oh," Richard said, "Well, you're welcome, honey."

"I know my wedding isn't going to be," Hermione said, "how you must have pictured it when you saw me getting married one day. Nothing about this is exactly traditional."

"I'll still get to walk you down the aisle, right?" Richard asked.

"Of course," Hermione said, "And there's the father-daughter dance."

"Well, then that is exactly how I pictured it," Richard said, "Even if it will be a bit more... magical... in the literal sense instead of figuratively."

Hermione laughed.

"Just promise me one thing," Richard said.

"Anything, Daddy," Hermione said.

"Just don't try to grow up too fast," Richard said, "You're only twenty."

"Twenty," Hermione repeated, laughing, "Out of my teens now."

"Still a little girl in my eyes," Richard said.

Hermione smiled and hugged her father.

Hermione remained at her parents' house for a few hours, spending time with them and having conversation, mostly reminiscing about the past few years. It was half-past-four when Hermione apparated back to her house. Ron was sitting in the living room

"Did you have fun at your parents' house?" Ron asked.

"Yeah," Hermione said.

"What did they get for you?" Ron asked, "Your traditional sugarless candies?"

"Yeah," Hermione said, "And this.

Hermione put her photo book on the coffee table. Hermione saw Ron's eyes darting toward it.

"You're welcome to look through it," she said. "I need to get ready for the rest of the day."

Ron nodded and picked up the book. Hermione walked back to the bedroom to get ready. When she walked back out a few minutes later. Ron was staring at something in the photo book. Hermione walked over to the couch and looked at the page. It was a picture of her sitting on a swing and her father right behind her. She must have only been six or so.

"I'm sorry," Ron said, as he looked down at the photo.

"What?" Hermione asked, "I said you could look through it."

"I don't mean that," Ron said. "I just realized... I never had that talk with your father."

"Oh," Hermione said, "Ron, your proposal to me wasn't planned. So there was no chance."

"Exactly," Ron said. "Harry talked to my father before he proposed to Ginny. I never got the chance."

"If it means that much to you," Hermione said, "You should talk to him sometime. Even if it isn't exactly traditional for the talk after you proposed."

Ron nodded.

"I'm sure he'd love that," Hermione said, "He's kind of having a hard time accepting this whole thing. Maybe it would make him feel better."

"I promise I'll do it sometime before our wedding," Ron said. "He deserves that. Especially since I'm stealing you away from him."

Hermione chuckled.

"But now," Ron said, "It is time for my surprise."

Ron took something out of his pocket. Hermione raised an eyebrow when she realized it was a blindfold. She looked at him questioningly.

"I don't want you to see where we're going until we get there," Ron said, "Even if we'll be apparating."

Hermione chuckled and put the blindfold on. Hermione heard Ron walk away for a moment, then come back. He felt her take her hand and she stood up.

"I figured we should do Side-Along Apparation," Ron said, "Since you don't know where we're going. Are you ready?"

"Yeah," Hermione said.

A few seconds later, Hermione had the familiar feeling of apparating. Her breath went away and came back to her, and she felt a light breeze.

"Not yet," Ron said, when Hermione tried to remove the blindfold.

Ron held her hand she walked with him. By the sudden lack of breeze, she could tell they were inside a building. Her feet kept moving, and she heard a door open. A few steps later, she felt another breeze.

"Okay," Ron said, "We're here. Take it off."

Hermione removed the blindfold from her face, and gasped as she looked around. She was standing on the Quidditch Pitch of the Holyhead Harpies Stadium. She had been on the Pitch at Hogwarts, but that didn't compare to a professional Quidditch stadium.

"Holy Merlin," she said, breathless.

"Welcome to the Holyhead Harpies Quidditch Pitch," a voice said.

Hermione looked around for the voice, then looked above her. Gwenog Jones was hovering on her broom about twenty feet in the air.

"Ginny told me all about your plans," Gwenog said. "The Pitch is yours for the next couple of hours. Would you like a broom?"

"I have one," Ron said, "But Hermione -"

"What?" Hermione asked, looking at Ron, "Me on a broom? Ron..."

"Do you want to fly with me?" Ron asked.

Hermione inhaled. She had been terrified of brooms ever since she had failed to fly very well on her very first Flying Lesson back in her first year.

"This is your surprise?" Hermione asked.

Ron nodded.

"You know I'm terrified of broomsticks," Hermione said, quietly.

"Hermione, do you think I would ever let you fall?" Ron asked.

"Of course not," Hermione said, "It's just –"

She sighed.

"Okay, lets do it," she said, shaking her head.

Ron grinned and put his broom on the ground.

"Up!" he said.

He looked at Hermione, and she nodded. She walked slowly over to the broom.

"Sit at the front," Ron said.

"The front?" Hermione asked.

"I'll be able to keep my arms around you," Ron said, "It will be much safer."

Hermione looked at the broom, then back at Ron. She nodded and straddled her legs around the broom. Ron sat behind her and put his arms around her.

"Just hold onto the broom," Ron instructed.

"I know how to do this much," Hermione said.

Ron chuckled. Hermione gulped and she gripped it, then leaned forward a bit. The broom started to rise into the air. Soon it escalated until it was nearly one-hundred feet in the air.

"We'll take this easy," Ron said.

The broom started forward and flew gently around the pitch. Hermione tried her best not to look down, so she looked around at the Pitch. After a while, Hermione began to get used to it, and an hour seemed to pass by rather quickly. On the western side of the pitch, the sun was beginning its descent toward the horizon. They stopped in mid-air and looked toward the west, watching the sunset.

"This is so beautiful," Hermione said.

She gently leaned back toward Ron and leaned against him. He put his arms around her and she laid her head against his neck.

"I've been thinking about something my parents and I were talking about today," Hermione said.

"Oh?" Ron asked.

"We haven't decided if we're going to get married in the Spring or Summer yet," Hermione said.

"Whatever date you pick," Ron said, "is fine with me."

"Well, now that you mention it," Hermione said, "I've had a couple of dates in mind. The only problem is... the first date seems too early in the Spring, and the second date is a bit problematic."

"What are they?" Ron asked.

"The first date I thought of," Hermione said, "was your birthday."

"First of March?" Ron asked. "That isn't even technically Spring, Hermione."

"I know," Hermione said.

"What was your other idea?" Ron asked.

Hermione sighed and closed her eyes. "The second of May," she said.

"The Anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts," Ron said.

"Yes," Hermione said, "I was thinking about it, and I would love it, but it doesn't seem right to get married on the anniversary of your brother's death. I'd hate to do that to you and your family."

"Hermione," Ron said, "It may have been the date my brother died, sure. But... it is also our anniversary."

Hermione grinned.

"It is the day we had our first kiss," Ron said.

"I know," Hermione said.

"If you want to get married on the second of May," Ron said, "I'll have no problem with that."

"Okay," Hermione said, "Second of May, it is."

"Blimey," Ron said, "Our wedding date."

Hermione chuckled. "Finally," she said.

She looked over her shoulder at Ron, and smiled at him.

"Happy Birthday, Hermione," Ron said.

"Thank you," Hermione said, "for all of this. This is a wonderful birthday surprise. Even if I was terrified at the thought of coming up here, it is so amazing."

Ron smiled. Hermione looked into his eyes and then kissed him. Ron returned the kiss, and Hermione didn't come up for air until the sun set below the horizon.

-  
**I decided to end the chapter there. Yes, Hermione has her birthday party at Harry and Ginny's house, but I decided I might just do a description of it for next chapter.**

**I realized as I was writing this chapter that I haven't put much focus on Ron and Hermione's wedding, and I decided I wanted to really get into that part of the story. So that is why this chapter has a lot to do with that.**

**Hope you liked it!**


	43. Stealing Cinderella

**Chapter 43  
Stealing Cinderella**

**Author's Note: The chapter title, and most of this chapter, is inspired by the song "Stealing Cinderella" by Chuck Wicks. The main portion of this chapter will take place the weekend after Hermione's birthday, so I will do a description for the days in between.**

**Also, I thought I should answer a question someone gave in a review:**

**Q: Draco has enough information about Daphne's group, why doesn't he tell authorities (or Harry and Ron)?**  
**A: I'll give a short answer in-story, near the beginning of the chapter. This has a lot to do with how the whole villain plot of this story will come to a close, so I don't want to spoil too much yet.**  
_  
_

After Hermione and Ron left the Holyhead Harpies Quidditch Pitch, they went straight to Harry and Ginny's house for Hermione's party. There they told Harry and Ginny that they had finally come up with a date for their wedding. Harry and Ginny were thrilled of course, though both were understanding of Ron and Hermione's beginning doubts for that date, given the events that had happened on that day.

When Ron expressed his feelings about how the rest of their family would feel about it, Ginny said that he shouldn't worry about it. They needed a good memory for that date, and this would be the perfect opportunity. Both Harry and Ginny promised they'd do whatever they could to help their best friends prepare for the wedding in time for the second of May. **  
**

The second of four Trial Exams for the Aurors-in-Training would come in the final week of September. They seemed rather far away, when Ron was looking forward to Hermione's birthday, but now that her birthday was over, he realized that the Trial Exams were only a few days away.

Unlike the first set of exams, these exams would be the start of the elimination rounds. Allison warned that six out of the two-dozen-plus Trainees would not make it through this round. The six lowest scores on the exams, which would test the mental and physical aspects of each trainee, would be leaving the facility, and wouldn't be able to return for another six months, when the next round of training started.

The thought of six trainees leaving the group at the end of the month set quite a somber mood around the facility. Ron's nerves had heightened tenfold, but this only made him train better and harder. On Friday, when everyone was thinking about how they would have a couple days to rest before the exams, Allison hit them with a new twist. The trainees and their partners would be tested together. This meant that if one of the partners failed, the other would fail too. This shocked both Ron and Harry, and they spent the whole day training and preparing their partners for the exams. Ron only hoped that his partner, Rossi, would be ready. If he wasn't, this could mean the end of training for both of them, and possibly the end of his Auror career.

After the big victory for the Surejan Dragon Reserve, Brady had become rather popular as a lawyer. He had made sure some of the praise went to Hermione, which she was grateful for. Brady's new-found popularity meant more cases for him, though he took this rather cautiously... in fact he seemed a little unprepared for it.

The morning after Hermione's birthday, she was surprised when Brady basically begged her for his assistance. He had promoted her from personal assistant to a position in which she had more power during a trial. She wasn't a lawyer yet, but she would still have a say during trial preparation, when it came down to what their defense strategy would be.

Draco's troubles only heightened as the first week of his new mission with Pansy passed. Pansy's attempts had flirting with Draco had become more pronounced. And then there was the fact that Draco was trying to figure out why he was doing this to begin with. He knew he could have told authorities what he knew about Daphne's group of rogue wizards. But he also knew Daphne was planning something big, and he wanted to stop it. If he had told authorities now, there was a chance Daphne and her group would attack the wizarding world in anger of his treachery. He knew he couldn't be responsible for that. He knew he would have to just stay in the group as long as he had to, until he could figure out how to stop them.

**(Ron's PoV)**

Saturday afternoon, Ron and Hermione apparated to a spot behind some bushes. They had arrived near a park, away from the sight of Muggles. The park was down the street from Hermione's parents house.

"You sure you want to do this?" Hermione asked Ron, leading him, hand-in-hand, down the sidewalk toward her parents' house.

"My next Trial Exam is Monday," Ron said, "and I was planning on studying for it this weekend. But, something is blocking me from doing so. I'm distracted, Hermione. Ever since I looked through your photo book, there has only been one thing going through my head. I need to do this, or I am not going to be able to pass my exam. If I don't pass my exam, I'm out of the training corp."

"Okay," Hermione said. "Just remember, I'll be there with you."

"No, I need to talk to him alone," Ron said.

"Okay," Hermione said, "Then I'll be in another room until you are finished."

Ron nodded. They turned and walked up the short cobbled sidewalk to the house. Hermione knocked on the door. A few moments later, it opened. Hermione's mother stood there.

"Hermione!" she said, "Ron. What a pleasant surprise. Come in."

"I hope we're not intruding, Mrs. Granger," Ron said.

"No, not at all," Helen said.

"Ron wants to talk to Daddy," Hermione said.

Helen looked at Ron, and he realized she knew what he wanted to talk about.

"I'll go find him," Helen said.

She smiled and turned around, then headed down the hall. Hermione lead Ron into the living room.

"I'll just be in the kitchen," Hermione said.

Ron nodded. Hermione kissed his cheek, and then walked out of the room. Ron looked around, and he saw a number of pictures hanging on a wall and sitting on a large desk. He walked over to them. How strange it was to see pictures like these that were frozen in time. None of the pictures moved the way pictures in the Burrow usually did.

Ron looked through them, and realized there were a lot of pictures that were not in the photo book. Most of them were of Hermione, when she was many years younger. In one of them, she was in a swimsuit, and a sprinkler system was behind her; water spouting from it. She was soaking wet, but she was grinning. In another picture, she was sitting behind a birthday cake. The cake had the number three on it. She was smiling yet again, but in this one she was missing her two front teeth, and her tongue was sticking through the hole.

He looked through the rest of the pictures. One of Hermione on a large vehicle-type thing that had two wheels, similar to one he had seen in his father's garage. His father had called it a bicycle. Hermione's father was behind the bike, helping Hermione stay up on it. On another one she was on her bed, her body frozen in mid-jump. In yet another, she was standing in front of a building with a backpack. The text in decorative letters above the picture said "First Day of School."

Then he came to a picture where Hermione was dressed up in a blue-dress that almost was too long for her short body. She had a long blonde-wig on over her hair.

"She was six years old in that picture," a voice said, behind Ron.

Ron looked over his shoulder. Hermione's father was walking up to stand by his side. He was staring at the picture.

"Six years old," Richard said, and Ron saw a tear in the edge of his eye, "and the only thing she wanted to be at that age was Cinderella."

He chuckled.

"Cinderella?'" Ron asked, then recalled that Hermione had mentioned that name once.

"You're not familiar with the story?" Richard asked.

"It isn't one of the stories wizards grow up with," Ron said.

"It is about a young girl who wants to find someone to be with for the rest of her life," Richard said, "And for a while, she never thought she'd meet him. Finally, she meets a Prince, by the name of Prince Charming. The only problem is... she isn't a princess. She feels like she doesn't belong in his lifestyle. Then her fairy godmother, who is kind of like a witch to you I guess, meets her and transforms her into a princess. He invites her to a dance, and they spend the night dancing away, and she is very happy. And then at the strike of midnight, the spell wears off, and she runs away from his castle embarrassed, and wonders if she'll ever see him again. What she doesn't know is, he fell in love with her, and he searched for her. He finds her and they live happily ever after."

As Richard was describing the story, Ron was trying to picture it in his mind. The way Richard described the dance, it reminded him of the Yule Ball. He grinned, as he imagined it.

"That does sound like the kind of story Hermione would love," he said.

"Every little girl's dream," Richard said, "to grow up like Cinderella and find their prince."

"I'm no prince," Ron said, chuckling, and shaking his head, "We don't even have royalty in the wizarding world."

"To Hermione, you are her prince," Richard said. "I can see that. The kind of guy she always wanted to marry."

Ron smiled, and he saw more tears sparkling in Richard's eyes.

"For years, I wondered what kind of man my daughter would marry," Richard said. "What he would like it. What he had lived through. What the sound of his voice was. I imagined all of this for years, going through different ideas. There was one point in my life where the person I saw marrying my daughter resembled me in so many ways. In my mind, different types of guys, mostly your age or younger, would walk through those doors. I wondered when I would actually see the real person that would be the one to walk with her in the aisle."

"Guess you really didn't expect a ginger-headed guy who can perform real magic," Ron said.

"No," Richard said, "And that actually surprises me, to be honest. Because I should have."

For most of the conversation, Richard was looking at the pictures of Hermione. Then, at that moment, he finally looked at Ron.

"She loves you, Ron," Richard said. "And I can see you love her. The way you look at her... only one other person in her life has looked at her like that before."

Richard smiled and put his hand to his heart.

"Me," he said. "I know why you wanted to talk to me. I know that you never got the chance to do this, even though the traditional way for it to be done is before you asked her."

"I know," Ron said, "The way it happened, I -"

Richard put up a hand to stop him.

"You don't have to explain it," he said, "Hermione's already done that for you."

"Okay," Ron said, nodding.

"You have my blessings," Richard said, "to meet her at the end of that aisle on your wedding day."

"Thank you, sir," Ron said.

Richard held out his hand and Ron shook it.

Ron heard someone sniffling behind him. He and Richard turned around. Hermione was peering around the corner of the doorway, looking at them. There wear tears in her eyes. Richard motioned for her to come in. Ron watched as Hermione walked over to her father and hugged him. Helen walked in as well.

"Thank you, Daddy," Hermione said.

"You're welcome, sweetheart," Richard said.

Hermione then hugged Ron.

"Sorry for calling Cinderella an illness," Ron whispered into Hermione's ear.

Hermione chuckled as she backed away from him.

-  
**(Draco's PoV)**

Once again, as he had been doing all week, Draco was lying on the couch in the living room and reading another one of the Muggle books in the house. Pansy was in the kitchen, cooking lunch... or trying to. The smells wafting from the kitchen indicated that something was burning. Draco stood up and walked into the kitchen. A pot on the stove was boiling over with water.

"What are you doing?" Draco asked.

He walked over to the stove and turned the knob to zero. He picked up the pot and poured it in the sink.

"Hey, I was using that!" Pansy hissed.

"Not very wisely," Draco said.

"I was doing fine," Pansy said.

"You can't cook, is that it?" Draco asked.

"I've been cooking all week," Pansy said.

"With magic," Draco said.

Pansy scoffed, then walked over to the kitchen table and sat down. Draco saw a tear in her eye.

"We always had a house-elf to cook for us," Pansy said, "So I never learned to cook by myself. Now we have no house-elf here, and I feel bloody useless!"

Draco frowned as he looked at Pansy. She looked like she was on the edge of breaking down.

"Why aren't you cooking with magic now?" Draco asked.

"Daphne says we need to limit our magic use," Pansy said. "If we keep it up, the Ministry will know there are more wizards in the area, even if we keep using Confundus Charms."

"Fine," Draco said, "Then let me fix lunch."

"You don't even know what I want," Pansy said.

"I'll guess," Draco said, then nodded toward the kitchen door. "Go."

"Why?" Pansy asked.

"Because I don't need you giving me suggestions while I cook," Draco said, "Go. Or all you'll be getting is a Draught of Living Death."

Pansy hissed and walked out of the kitchen. Draco sighed and started to prepare lunch. As he did, he heard a pecking sound on the window. He looked up. It was Astoria's owl. He grinned and opened the window, letting the owl in. Draco took the parchment from the owl and opened it, then read it:

_Draco,_

_Is something wrong? Why haven't you been writing to me? I sent you a letter three days ago, and didn't get one back. Write to me. I want to know what the matter is. I miss you._

_Love,_  
_Astoria._

Draco shook his head, as he finished the letter.. It confused him. He didn't get a letter from her Astoria three days ago. He read through the letter, then realized what must have happened.

"Pansy," he muttered, then looked at the owl. "Stay here for a moment."

He turned off the stove again and dumped the pot in the trash. He then walked into the living room. Pansy was sitting on the chair.

"Where's lunch?" Pansy asked.

"I'm not making you anything!" Draco snarled.

"Draco," Pansy said, "What –?"

Draco lifted Astoria's letter and Pansy's eyes widened.

"She says she wrote to me three days ago," Draco said, "Where's my letter?"

Pansy shook her head.

"Where – is – my – letter?" Draco repeated, and with every word he took another step toward Pansy.

She muttered something.

"What?" Draco snarled.

"I burned it!" Pansy said, "Okay, I burned it!"

"Why would you do that?" Draco asked.

"She'd be a distraction from your mission here!" Pansy said, "Daphne -"

"Daphne this," Draco said, "Daphne that! Daphne knows Astoria writes to me. They are sisters! Daphne is using Astoria against me. She wants me to get the letters, so I can bend to her every will, while she blackmails me. Do not tell me Daphne said it would be a distraction. You don't want me to write to Astoria."

"Why do you love Astoria?" Pansy asked. "If you hate her sister so much, why do you love her?"

"Astoria is nothing like Daphne!" Draco said.

"That's obvious," Pansy said, "Astoria doesn't belong in Slytherin."

"Exactly!" Draco said, "I don't want someone who deserves to be in Slytherin."

Pansy's jaw dropped.

"You heard me," Draco said, "Astoria knows she shouldn't be a Slytherin. And that is one of the reasons I love her. She's better than any Slytherin I've ever known."

Draco walked away, then turned back to Pansy.

"She's leagues better than you, Pansy," he said, "That is why I love her."

Pansy narrowed her eyes and turned in her chair.

"Now, if you you don't mind," Draco said, "I need to make up for your bloody mistake."

"Go ahead," Pansy said, "Write back to her. And tell you kissed me when you do."

Draco cursed silently and walked into the kitchen. He wrote a letter to Astoria, making up an excuse that he had been busy. He told her he'd see her for Hogsmeade weekend, and that he loved her, and told her not to worry about him.

Draco then tied the parchment to the owl's leg, and watched as it flew off. He scoffed and sat back down. Pansy was not going to get in the middle of him and Astoria. He'd make sure of it.

-  
**(Ron's PoV)**

Close to seven in the evening, Ron was laying in his bedroom. In front of him were pieces of parchment with maps and different routines he could possibly be doing for the exam the following week. He knew he wouldn't doing all of them. Some of them were there to throw him off, but he needed to study all of them. Hermione walked into the room, then walked over to the closet.

"Looking for something?" Ron asked.

"I did the laundry yesterday, and forgot to put away the towels," Hermione said, her voice muffled as she looked through the closet, "I'm going to take a shower, and need to find one."

"I'm going to make dinner in a little bit," Ron said, "Anything you want?"

"Surprise me," Hermione said, "Aha!"

She turned and had a towel in her hand, then walked toward the door.

"Oh, almost forgot," she said.

She removed her engagement ring from her finger, then put it on the dresser.

"Don't want to lose it down the drain," she said.

She grinned and walked out of the room. Ron looked back down at one of the maps, then looked up again at the engagement ring. He grinned as a sudden thought came to his mind. He stood up, picked up the ring and put it in his pocket, then went down to start dinner.

Half-an-hour later, as dinner was cooking in the oven, Hermione came down to the kitchen, looking rather flustered.

"Have you seen my ring?" she asked, "I know I put it on the dresser."

Ron reached into his pocket and took it out. Hermione looked at him, but before she could say anything, he kneeled to the ground.

"There's been something I wanted to do all day," Ron said, "Ever since I had that discussion with your father."

As Hermione walked over to him, Ron saw tears sparkling in her eyes.

"I know we've been through this already," Ron said, "But I wanted to do it again, now that I've had that big talk with your father. And I wanted to do it right. Hermione, I've known you for what seems like most of my life. We've had our fights, and we've always made up after it. We've always come to back to each other. You and I... we've been through hell and back, and I don't know if I would have survived it without you. There were many times when you weren't there with me, when I needed you."

Ron saw tears falling down Hermione's cheeks.

"When I ran out of that tent, a couple years ago," he said, "I knew I had made a big mistake. I thought I'd lost you forever. But I heard your voice calling me, and I knew I never did lose you. Those days I spent away from you... I never want to feel like that again. I never want to experience that again. I want you to be by my side, where I can find you, where I can't lose you, for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?"

"You already know the answer," Hermione said, grinning through her tears, "Yes."

Ron put the ring back on Hermione's finger and hugged her, then kissed her.

"You could have just summoned the ring, you know," Ron said.

"I know," Hermione said, "But I had a feeling you knew where it was."

She then chuckled, shaking her head, and sat down at the table.

"What's so funny?" Ron asked.

"I was just trying to figure where in my life I met my own fairy godmother," she said.

Ron raised his eyebrows, then realized what she meant. For a moment, the only thing he could see when he looked at Hermione, was that six year-old little girl dressed as Cinderella. As he sat down at the table, he wondered if that was what her father saw, every time he looked at her.

**Damn this chapter made me tear up at points! If you haven't listened to the song "Stealing Cinderella", do so. I was while I was writing this, and I felt tears at bits. It was definitely my inspiration for many parts of this chapter.**

**I'm going to have to think about what to write coming up. I know of one chapter I want to do, but in the story, that is not till over a month away. So it might take me a little while to get another chapter up!**

**For now, I hope you loved this one!**


	44. Chapter 44: No Title

**Chapter 44  
No Title Yet**

**Author's Note: Sorry, I can't figure out a title for this chapter at the moment. **

**(Ron's PoV)**

During the last week of September, Ron and Harry, and their partners had to endure a whole week of tests for the second of four Trial Exams. Those who performed the worst on the exams would be kicked out of the training corp on Friday, the last day of the exams, which also happened to be the last day of September.

Ron's partner, Taylor Rossi, had been improving all week. Unfortunately Allison didn't seem impressed with Taylor at all. On Thursday, Ron noticed that Allison kept throwing glances at Taylor. One of the things Ron had learned during his Auror training was how to identify emotions in facial expressions. Allison, however, was very good at hiding hers, and he couldn't figure out what she was thinking about Taylor. He did notice that she was focusing on Rossi, and Harry's partner, Golding, quite a bit.

Ron's nerves and emotions were heightened on Friday, the final day of the Trial exams. He knew that at least six people would be leaving the training corp that day, and Allison was judging it on the trainee and their partner. The way she had kept her focus on Rossi worried him a bit.

Hermione noticed and had made him a big breakfast on Friday morning. However, Ron only jabbed at his eggs and sausage as he sat there at the table.

"Ron," Hermione said, "I know you're worried, but you really should eat. You'll need your strength."

Ron nodded as he took a bite off the top of the sausage. His mouth was so dry, that the food tasted rough.

"You really shouldn't be nervous," Hermione said, "I'm sure you'll do great."

"I'm not worried about me, Hermione," Ron said. "I could do my best today, but it wouldn't matter if Allison has her eye on my partner. This training exam is all about how we can work with our partners, and how we trust them."

"Do you trust your partner, then?" Hermione asked.

"Of course I do," Ron said.

"Then you shouldn't worry about him," Hermione said, "He might impress you and Allison at the same time."

Ron nodded, but at the same time he still wasn't sure.

"So how is work on your end?" he asked, trying to distract his thoughts away from the exams.

"Pretty good," Hermione said, "A lot less repetitive now that I am working cases instead of as a personal assistant."

"I'm happy about that," Ron said, "I always knew you could end up to do something like this."

"Oh, really?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Ron said, "Remember our third year? The way you were so dedicated to helping Hagrid with Buckbeak's case. That is exactly the kind of thing you are doing now."

"Hadn't thought about it that way," Hermione said, "When I joined the department, I was more focused on what I could do for House-Elf rights. I never really saw myself in the judicial part of the department."

"Well," Ron said, "maybe you were never meant to change the rights of House-Elves."

"I don't believe that," Hermione said, "I'm not going to let that go just cause I have a good job right now."

"I know how much you've always loved the thought of helping House-Elves," Ron said, "It is just... you seem to have found your niche in the judicial department. If the stupid Public Security Department hadn't been created, and you weren't kicked out of the Wizengamot, you could have been promoted from Court Respondent to somewhere higher up. That is just how brilliant you are when it comes to that stuff."

"I know," Hermione said, "it's just... helping House-Elves. That has been something I've wanted to do for years."

"Well, maybe that is something you can do in the future," Ron said. "For now I think you should stick to something you're good at... which is obviously wizarding law."

"That's ironic," Hermione said, rolling her eyes, "Especially since I told Rufus Scrimgeour I had absolutely no interest in the subject."

"Wizarding law has changed some since Rufus Scrimgeour was in office," Ron said.

"True," Hermione said, grinning. "Although..."

"What?" Ron asked.

I must say I find myself a lot more busy," Hermione said, "now that I am a part of Brady's cases. I have no time to think about our wedding."

"It is still months away, Hermione," Ron said.

"Eight months," Hermione said, "that is all... eight months away. Doesn't sound so far when you think about it. Especially when the days seem to pass by so quickly with us so focused on our careers."

"Well," Ron said, "If you want to delay it -"

"No," Hermione said, shaking her head, "I like the date we chose. I want to stick with it."

"Okay," Ron said, "Then we'll find some free time to work on our wedding plans. I promise, after today, I'll help you. I'll focus on our wedding."

"You talk as if you think you won't be going back to the training corp after today," Hermione said, pouting.

"Either way," Ron said, shrugging, "I promise to be more focused on our wedding."

Hermione smiled and reached across the table. She took his hand in hers, and Ron caressed his fingers over her ring finger, as he looked at it. He wondered just how much free time he would have after that day.

-  
**(Draco's PoV) **

Ever since Draco found out that Pansy had intercepted one of Astoria's letters to him, he didn't have too much conversation with her. Pansy had spent most of their second week at the house staring through the window toward Ron and Hermione's house. Draco had finished his third book halfway through the week. He had no interest in helping Pansy spy on Ron and Hermione. He knew it would be useless if he did.

Ron and Hermione barely left their house through the front door. Draco knew they were probably either using Apparation or Floo Powder to get to their destinations. He figured he and Pansy must have made a bad first impression as Lauren and Parker, because Ron and Hermione hadn't come back to visit them.

On Friday, Pansy was, once again, sitting on the chair in front of one of the windows and looking through it. She was rocking back and forth in the chair, rather bored with the circumstances, and the noise was irritating Draco.

"Would you stop that?" Draco said, rolling his eyes.

"You've decided to talk to me again, have you?" Pansy asked.

"You wish," Draco said.

"You know you can't go days without talking to someone," Pansy said, "And I am the only one here."

"I did pretty well not talking to anyone," Draco said, "when I was in that safe house. So I think I can manage."

"Hmmph," Pansy said.

Draco grinned and returned to the book he was reading. Pansy then sighed loudly.

"This is useless!" she said, "We can't see anything."

"I've been saying that ever since we got here," Draco said. "They're wizards, Pansy. They don't need to use the front door."

"We need to find a way inside," Pansy said, "And find what they've been up to.".

"I'm not going inside their house," Draco said, "If they find us –"

"We know their schedules, Draco," Pansy said. "I don't think we have to worry about them discovering us."

"What is it exactly that we would be searching for?" Draco asked. "I wouldn't even know what to look for."

"Er... me either," Pansy said.

"Excuse me?" Draco asked.

"Daphne didn't tell me," Pansy said. "We're just supposed to watch them."

"Oh, well, that is just perfect," Draco said.

"Well, I'm sorry!" Pansy said, "I can't help if Daphne is -"

She sighed and shook her head.

"If Daphne is what?" Draco asked. "Were you going to call her incompetent? A bad leader?"

"I would never," Pansy said. "She knows what she wants."

"Well, that is great," Draco said. "The leader of this little gang knows what they want, but they leave everyone else in the dark."

Pansy opened her mouth to give a retort, but she was interrupted by a pecking sound on the window. Draco looked over his book.

"Your girlfriend wrote you again," Pansy muttered.

Draco looked at the owl.

"That isn't Astoria's owl," Draco said, sitting up, "It is Daphne's."

Pansy stood up quickly and walked over to the window. She grabbed the parchment from the owl and Draco watched her as her eyes darted through it.

"Looks like we're going to have a guest," Pansy said, when she finished.

"Daphne is coming here?" Draco asked.

"Yeah, guess so," Pansy said.

"Did she say why?" Draco asked.

"She wants an update on our progress," Pansy said, "and she wants it in person."

"Great," Draco scoffed. "We don't exactly have anything. When can we expect our guest?"

"She didn't say," Pansy said.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Pansy and Draco turned toward the door.

"Go see who it is," Pansy ordered.

Draco narrowed his eyes, but stood up and walked over to the door. He looked through the peep-hole, but didn't recognize the person.

"Who is it?" Draco asked.

"It's Daphne, you git," the voice said, "I'm in a disguise. Let me in before Granger and Weasley see us."

Draco unlocked the door then opened it. Daphne walked in. She had long red hair and kind of resembled the person Draco had to transform into if anyone came by. In fact she could have been his sister.

Daphne looked at Draco and Pansy.

"Why aren't you in your disguises?" Daphne demanded, "I could have been Weasley or Granger."

"We don't want to waste our supplies," Draco said, "And Weasley and Granger are at work at the moment. So they wouldn't be here. Would they?"

"So... any updates?" Daphne asked.

"Ron and Hermione must be using Apparation or Floo Powder to get where ever they go," Draco said, "We never see them in their front yard."

"Has anyone visited them?" Daphne asked.

"If they have, they haven't come through the front door," Pansy said.

Daphne sighed. She was obviously frustrated.

"And they don't suspect you two?" she asked.

"We don't think so," Pansy said.

"So you could get inside their house if you had the chance," Daphne said, "And they wouldn't suspect you if they found anything?"

"You want us to go inside their house?" Draco asked.

He looked at Pansy, and she just grinned.

"That is what I suggested," Pansy said, "But Draco didn't think it was a good idea."

"I didn't say it wasn't a good idea, Pansy," Draco said, "I said I wasn't going inside their house."

"Whatever," Pansy said.

"Oh, quit your bickering, you two," Daphne said. "Draco, unless you can think of another way to get what we need, you and Pansy are going to be heading in their house."

Draco glared at her.

"Fine," Draco said. "What are we looking for when we go inside? When are you going to tell us that?"

"You won't be looking for anything," Daphne said.

She dug into her pocket and pulled a number of small mirrors.

"There are four mirrors here," Daphne said, handing the mirrors to Pansy, "You will put three in their house. Where they eat, where they sleep, where they spend most of their time during the day. The other mirror you will keep here. It has been charmed to detect any movement or sound that comes near the other three mirrors. You'll be able to hear any conversation that happens near them. Anything they talk about, I want you to give a summary about it. If they talk about Potter, I want everything they say about him. If Weasley talks about what he is doing in his work as an Auror, I need details. Questions?"

"So Potter is your target here?" Draco asked.

"If Potter was the target," Daphne said, "I would have asked you to spy on him."

"So Weasley and Granger are the targets?" Pansy asked.

"Did I say that?" Daphne asked.

"You haven't really made that clear," Draco said.

"When I make it clear," Daphne said, "You will know. Any questions that have to do with my request?"

"How exactly are we going to place those things in their house without them noticing?" Draco asked.

Daphne grinned, and Draco felt a shiver go up his spine.

"You're smart enough, Draco, darling," Daphne said, "I think you can figure that out for yourself. I want this done as soon as possible. You say they are at work right now. Then it would be wise to do this before they get home. You will not take anything from their house. You will only place these in it, then get out of there. I think that is all I need to say. Farewell."

Daphne turned and walked out of the house, shutting the door behind her.

"Let's get this over with then," Pansy said.

"Now?" Draco asked.

"No, Draco, when the Mudblood and her boyfriend get home," Pansy said, sarcastically, "Yeah. Now."

Draco scoffed and followed Pansy into the bathroom.

-  
Ten minutes later, they were standing at the door of Ron and Hermione's house. Both were disguised, once again, as Parker and Lauren. Pansy was having a bit of trouble unlocking the door to the house. A simple Unlocking charm didn't work. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Do you need me to do it?" he asked.

Pansy scoffed, and suddenly the door flew off its hinges.

"Why did you do that?" Draco asked, shocked.

"Relax," Pansy said, as she and Draco walked into the house.

She pointed the wand at the door, and it repaired itself.

"See?" she said, "Back to normal."

"Could you take more care with their things?" Draco asked.

"Why do you care?" Pansy asked.

"I don't," Draco said, "But we're dealing with a witch who qualifies as a genius, and a wizard who has had months of Auror training. They're bound to notice if you make too much of a mess."

"You have a point," Pansy said, "for once."

"Can we do this and get out of here?" Draco asked.

"Okay," Pansy said.

She walked over to the fireplace and stuck one of the mirrors on the edge of it. She waved her wand and suddenly, the mirror vanished.

"You can do an invisibility charm?" Draco asked.

"Look closer, idiot," Pansy said. "It is a chameleon charm."

Draco raised his eyebrows, rather impressed with Pansy. He hadn't thought of using a chameleon charm. He followed Pansy into the kitchen, where she put another mirror underneath the table.

"We'll never see them that way," Draco said.

"We don't need to see them," Pansy said, as she put a charm on the mirror, "We only need to hear them."

They walked back toward the living room, then headed for the bedroom.

"One bedroom," Pansy said, scoffing, as they walked in, "I should have known."

"Guess they sleep in the same bed," Draco said, grinning.

Pansy walked over to the closet, and stuck the mirror on a wall inside it.

"Not interested in seeing what happens in here either?" Draco asked.

Pansy rolled her eyes.

"I don't need pictures in my head of what the Mudblood and blood-traitor do in their free time," she said, "Let's get out here."

"Try not to knock the door down this time," Draco said, as he walked back to the door.

He turned and looked at Pansy. She seemed to be looking at something in the living room.

"Pansy," Draco said, "What are you –?"

Pansy put her hand up and walked over to the coffee table. She opened the book that was on the table. Draco walked over to see what Pansy was looking at. There were numerous pictures of Hermione when she was younger. It showed two adults who must have been her parents. Pansy proceeded to take one of the pictures out of the slip. It was one of Hermione posing with her parents.

"This could prove to be useful," Pansy said.

"We're not supposed to take anything!" Draco hissed.

"Relax," Pansy said, "They won't find out. Geminio!"

A duplicate of the picture appeared, and Pansy put it back into the book.

"Can we go now?" Draco asked.

Pansy shut the book and put it back on the table. She nodded and they walked out of the house, then locked the door behind them. Draco followed her back down the road. He was about to ask why Pansy took one of Hermione's pictures, then he realized he didn't want to know the answer.

**(Ron's PoV)**

Ron, Harry, and their training partners were standing in line. Over the past couple of hours, eight of their comrades, in four teams of two, had gone into the Danger Room, though none of the other trainees knew what was going on inside the room. Two of the teams were now no longer part of the training corp, having failed the last part of the exam.

Allison was pacing back and forth looking throughout the rest of the trainees. Who she would choose, nobody knew. The final two teams she would choose would duel in the Danger Room, and only one of the teams would move on to continue their time in the training corp.

"Come forward when I call you," Allison announced, after minutes of keeping her silence. "William Golding, Taylor Rossi, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter."

Ron's eyes widened as he stepped forward with the others. Harry was looking at him, and Ron knew exactly what he was thinking. But he couldn't bear to think it as well.

"The rest of you have earned your right to continue in the training corp," Allison said, to the trainees behind Ron, "You may leave."

Excited and relieved chatter mixed with the movement of the trainees leaving the area. Ron could only look at Allison. He knew what was coming... or he thought he did.

"So," Allison said, "We have the final two teams. The four of you will go into the Danger Room, and duel the other team. Whichever team loses is out of the training corp. Understood?"

None of the trainees moved a muscle. Ron looked at Rossi, and started to say something, but Allison walked over to him.

"Mr. Weasley, what are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm wanting to figure out my strategy with Rossi," Ron said.

"That would not be a good idea," Allison said.

"Why?" Ron asked.

"Because he is not your partner," Allison said.

She backed up and looked at all of them.

"The final duel for the second portion of your Trial Exams," Allison said, "will be a free-for-all."

Ron looked at Harry, who looked back at him.

"While you are inside the Danger Room," Allison said, "You will only be fighting for your right to move on. Now... that means you can team up with someone. I will not stop you."

Ron grinned at Harry.

"But," Allison continued, "think about this wisely. What will be your decision? Will you choose to team up with someone? Each of you have teamed up with two out of three of your opponents before. Will you choose to team up with one of them? If so, who?"

She shrugged and walked around each of them.

"You've been training for a month with your new partners," she continued, "in preparation for this exam. But you've also known your old partner for quite a while. To the point that you are best friends. Do you put your trust in your new partner, or your old one? Or... will you only trust the one person you've known the longest... yourself?"

Allison looked at each of the four of them.

"You will not decide at this moment, though," Allison said. "You'll have to figure that part out when you meet up with them in the Danger Room. Good luck."

The door opened behind Allison. She walked in and they all followed her in. Ron wondered what type of environment they would have to deal with. It didn't take long for him to find out. In front of the five of them was a hedge about thirty feet high, and seemed to go on forever on either side of him.

"Well, it looks as if the Danger Room has quite the test for you today," Allison said, as she turned back toward them. "Welcome to the Danger Room's most dangerous environment known to Aurors."

Along the hedge, four holes opened. Ron recognized them as doorways.

"The labyrinth," Allison said, grinning mischievously.

-  
**Oooh, I love a good cliffhanger! I just love coming up with these ideas. This is going to get interesting.**

**Hope you liked this chapter!**


	45. The Labyrinth

**Chapter 45  
The Labyrinth**

**(Harry's PoV)**

Harry's jaw dropped as he looked at the monstrous hedge in front of him.

Suddenly, his mind was back on the final task of the Triwizard Tournament. He remember monstrous hedges that sucked the light from all around him. Portions of the maze that turned his world upside down if he stepped in the wrong place. Boggarts, sphinxes and monstrous acromantulas all trying to stop him from going any further.

"Choose a doorway," Allison said, breaking Harry out of his reverie, "But choose wisely."

Harry walked past Allison, looking at her as he did. What was that expression in her eyes? She had read his report. She must have known what he had faced in the Triwizard Tournament. Was this a creation of the Danger Room itself... or a creation from Allison Fawning herself?

Out of the four of them, only Harry had the most experience in an environment like this. Allison must have known this. Was this a silent message from Allison? Harry could imagine the words, as if Allison had really said them:

Y_ou can get through this, Potter. You've done this kind of thing before. Choose who you want to go with you on from the maze. That is your real test. _

His mind was back on that final task. He had escaped the maze with Cedric Diggory, and Cedric was killed minutes later.

_Choose who you want to go with you. That is your final test._

Allison must have known that Harry's last choice in an environment like this had cost that person their life. Was that Harry's real test? Making a decision with that thought in his head?

Harry took a spot in front of the doorways.

Harry looked to his left and right. Ron was staring at whatever was through his entryway. Golding was looking at his three opponents. Rossi was looking at the ground, and seemed to be the most nervous out of the four.

"And... begin," Allison said.

Harry and the others walked forward into the maze. Even though he had expected it, he was still surprise the hedge behind him closed, shutting him in the labyrinth. He looked forward. The darkness engulfed him. It was like standing in the middle of the Forbidden Forest, except for the fact that there were hedges instead of trees. Harry inhaled and exhaled. He stepped forward and was surprised that he found that his feet kept moving.

He then realized there was one big difference from the maze in the third task to this labyrinth. He was not searching for something that was stationary. His opponents were currently moving throughout the labyrinth, and he would have to find them. Harry continued walking.

Just as he thought the path ahead of him would not cut off, he arrived at a fork in the path. He wondered which way she should go. Ron had gone into the labyrinth to his right. But did he really want to look for Ron first? Did he want to team up with Ron? Sure, he wanted himself and Ron to get through this exam, but... was the right choice to find Ron, or fight for himself?

If he had met up with Taylor Rossi, he knew he could take him. Taylor was the weakest of the four. Golding, on the other hand... Harry had been impressed with him. Golding could defend himself to the point where he could probably take on Harry if he had the chance. The only problem was that Golding and Ron were closest to each other. Taylor was the only one to Harry's right when they walked in. Harry looked at the paths in front of him. Could he take Rossi and then find Golding in enough time before he got to Ron?

Harry sighed and went down the path to the right. Suddenly, he heard a loud roar coming from the other direction. Harry's eyes widened. That was not the sound a human usually made. The sudden thought horrified him,.

What else was with them in this labyrinth?

Harry was about to run forward, then he heard a scream. The kind a human did make.

"Rossi," Harry muttered.

Harry took his wand from his pocket, then turned and ran back to the fork, then up the left path. As he ran, he looked to his left and right, for any openings. Where had that scream come from? Suddenly, up ahead his eyes caught an opening in the path coming from the left. But as he started to run toward it, the hedge in the opening shook.

Harry stopped in his tracks, dirt skidding below his feet. Moments later a mountain troll, almost as tall as the hedge, appeared in front of him.

"Stupefy!" Harry said.

The spell hit the troll's chest, but the troll just shook it off. It roared and looked around for whoever had hit him. Harry tried to find a place to hide, but it was no use. The only cut-off from the path nearby was behind the troll. The troll roared again as its tiny eyes found Harry.

"Conjunctivitis!" Harry said.

The spell aimed for the troll's eyes and hit its target. The ground shook as the troll danced around in pain, rubbing its eyes.

"Sectumsempra!" Harry yelled.

The troll roared and fell over face-first to the ground. Suddenly, Harry heard two sounds at once: the troll's body thudding as it crashed to the ground, followed by a faint screaming sound that suddenly stopped seconds after it started. Harry walked forward and his eyes widened at what he had found. Rossi was laid out under the troll; his legs had disappeared under the troll. Harry kneeled toward him, and checked his pulse. Rossi was alive, but unconscious.

Harry did the only thing he could think of. He raised his wand to the air.

"Periculum!" he said.

Red sparks shot into the air.

"One competitor has been eliminated from the exam," Allison's voice said, overhead.

Harry stood up, and ran off back down the path and headed up the right direction. As he ran, he wondered if he could find Ron in time before Golding could. If Ron found Golding first, he wasn't sure what the outcome would be.

-  
**(Ron's PoV – a couple minutes earlier **_)_

Ron felt as if he had been walking a straight line forever. There were no openings anywhere. He was starting to feel panic overcome him.

"Calm down, Ron," he said to himself, "You can do this."

He looked around. He wondered if this is how Harry had felt while he was inside the maze during the third task of the Triwizard Tournament. He had always wondered what it would have been like to be a Triwizard Tournament contender. During the tournament, when Harry had said that he would have to be in a maze for the third task, Ron started to have dreams of being in the maze himself. But he had never expected to be in an environment like this, he had never dreamed of something like this.

"One competitor has been eliminated from the exam," Allison's voice said, overhead.

Ron's eyes widened. Already? How long had he been in the maze? It couldn't have been for more than ten minutes or so? Or was it longer? One person had been eliminated. That meant that there must have been a duel Two of the four must have found each other. But who was it that was eliminated? Golding? Rossi? Harry?

Ron sighed and looked around at the hedges. There was nowhere he could go. He groaned and punched part of the hedge... and his hand hit nothing.

"What the bloody hell?" Ron said to himself.

He stepped forward and the hedge in front of him moved away from him a few feet. He found himself in another pathway, one with visible turns at either end.

"I was sure that a solid wall," Ron muttered. "This is so bloody mental!"

Ron shook his head and headed off to his left, then turned right when he had the chance. As he walked along the path, he wondered who would be the first competitor he would meet. He was sure Harry was still in the maze, so that meant that Golding or Rossi had been eliminated. But who was it? Who would meet him in a duel? Whoever wasn't in the previous duel was surely searching for him.

With one person eliminated, that meant there was only one other person that needed to be eliminated, and the other two would go on in the exams. Ron had been hoping to find Harry and team up with him to take the others down, but he was having no luck. He hadn't seen any signs or heard any voices that told him someone was near.

Ron saw another opening a few yards away down the path. He walked toward it, and as he got closer, he heard footsteps coming. Ron hid himself against the wall and listened. The footsteps he heard were definitely not Harry's. He knew Harry would more than likely be stealthy, and these footsteps sounded as if they were moving quickly. He strained his ears and listened. The footsteps were now too many to be one person.

Thoughts started to swim through his head. Had two of the competitors teamed up? Had Harry reunited with Golding? Or... Ron closed his eyes as he thought about it... had Golding and Rossi found each other, teamed up, and taken out Harry?

Ron opened his eyes. He had to know the answer. He peered around the corner, and looked. What he saw, he did not expect:

A giant spider, no, an Acromantula was heading his way. Ron put a hand to his mouth to muffle the sudden screams coming up his throat. Spiders... why did it have to be spiders?

"Think, Ron," he said to himself, "think!"

He inhaled, raised his wand and turned, unleashing a stunning spell toward the spider's underbelly. The Acromantula didn't even flinch.

"B-but the underbelly is your weakest spot!" Ron stuttered, "You should have stopped! Why didn't you – Oh!"

He pointed his wand at the spider once again.

"Ridikkulus!" he said.

Suddenly the spider started to shrink and it turned into a rat.

"You're a boggart!" Ron said, chuckling. "Ha!"

The boggart vanished.

"Thank you, Remus," he muttered, as he continued down the path.

Ron then heard more footsteps close by. These were heavy footfalls, but only sounded like one person. He grinned. Only one person out of the four was big enough for those loud footfalls: William Golding. He listened for the steps. They were close by, but he couldn't see any opening up ahead.

"Incendio!" a loud voice roared.

Ron ducked just as a large fire ball hit part of the hedge nearby and exploded. The smoke and debris made Ron cough and choke. The smoke was dense. Ron stood up and pointed his wand ahead of him.

"I can hear your breath," Golding's voice said, "Who's there? You can't hide from me. Scourgify!"

The smoke and dust cleared and Ron was now looking at Golding. Golding grinned.

"You're still here, are you?" Golding asked. "Pity. I thought you'd be the first to go."

"I could say the same thing for you," Ron said.

"Stupefy!" Golding said.

Ron dove out of the way toward a large chunk of hedge that had been blown apart.

"Fast little weasel, aren't you?" Golding said.

"Expelliarmus!" Ron said.

Golding's wand barely left his fingers before he caught it.

"Nice try," Golding said, "But your friend, Potter, loved to use that one on me during training. I've had some nice practice with it. Do you think it was Harry who was eliminated? Or Rossi? I wonder. Either way it was one of your partners. Can't have been a good partner to them if they were weak enough to lose."

"It just means the strong one is still in the maze," Ron said.

"How do you know?" Golding asked. "How do you know it wasn't I who took them out?"

"Right," Ron scoffed, "If you knew who it was, you'd use them to taunt me."

"You're right," Golding said, then grinned. "Poor Potter. Really wanted to be an Auror."

Ron narrowed his eyes. He stood up from behind the hedge.

"Stupefy!" he yelled.

Golding ducked. Ron walked forward. Suddenly, before he knew it, he was forced off his feet, and the ground seemed to spin around him.

Golding started to chuckle.

"Ran into a trap, did you?" he said.

Ron's eyes widened as he watched Golding walk closer toward him. What could he do? He was hanging upside down, and couldn't figure how to move.

"Ron!" Harry's voice said, "Move! Just move your feet!"

Without thinking, Ron did as Harry said. Just as he found himself upright again, Golding sent a stunning spell toward him. Ron had no time to react. All he could see was the spell coming toward him.

"Protego!" Harry's voice yelled.

Harry's spell collided with the stunning spell feet from Ron, and a sudden gust of wind blew Ron back, but he stayed on his feet. However, a few feet ahead of him, Golding had staggered to the ground. Ron pointed his wand to Golding.

"Locomotor Mortis!" he said.

The spell hit its mark and Golding went stiff as a board. Harry ran forward as Ron walked over to Golding.

"Give up?" he asked Golding, "Blink once for yes."

Golding blinked once.

"William Golding has been eliminated!" Allison's voice said, "The winners are Harry Potter and Ron Weasley."

Suddenly, the hedge maze disappeared around them and they were standing in a large white room. As Ron adjusted his eyes to the light, Allison walked over to him and Harry.

"Finite," she said, pointing her wand at Golding.

Golding stirred and stood up.

"Nice try, Mr. Golding," Allison said, "You may go."

Golding frowned, and stared at Ron and Harry, as he walked by them.

"How's Rossi?" Harry asked Allison.

"Two broken legs," Allison said, "He'll be at St. Mungo's for a few days for Skele-Gro treatment."

"What did you do to Rossi?" Ron asked Harry.

"I knocked a mountain troll out, and he landed on Rossi," Harry said.

Ron groaned. "Not exactly the way I wanted him to go out," he said.

"Rossi and Golding are now eliminated from the Trial Exams," Allison said.

"So... we passed?" Ron asked her.

"Unfortunately, I have some bad news," Allison said. "The two of you will be leaving the training corp today as well."

Ron and Harry stared at each other, then back at Allison. Ron was about to complain when Allison put her hand up to stop him.

"Maybe I should have made myself more clear," Allison said. "It is bad news for me. I'm definitely going to miss the two of you."

Ron frowned. He couldn't believe his ears. Had he and Harry really been kicked out the training corp? But they had passed the exam...

"But... it is not bad news for either of you," Allison continued.

"Why is that?" Harry asked.

"Because, as of next Monday," Allison said, "under the direct order of Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt himself... you two can consider yourself fully-fledged Aurors."

Ron's eyes widened. He looked at Harry, who only stared at Allison.

"You see," Allison said, "This maze was his idea. In fact, the only reason you were a part of the number of trainees I picked today, is because the Minister asked me to. If he had not come to me with these exact orders, and you were to continue in the training corp, you two would have gone through to the next round the exams. This maze was your final test. Mr. Weasley, over the past few weeks, you have probably been asking yourself why I assigned you a new partner."

"Yeah, sure," Ron said.

"You can thank the Minister for that one as well," Allison said. "He appreciates the partnership and friendship you and Mr. Potter have. But he wanted to know if you could still be an Auror if something ever happened to Mr. Potter. He doesn't want to lose you if you find yourself without the help of your best friend. So he had me assign you a new partner, and see how you could work with someone else."

"And what was my test?" Harry asked.

"As for you, Mr. Potter," Allison said. "the Minister wanted to see if you were capable of going into a mission where there was a chance you could lose one of your closest friends. In this case, there was a chance your best friend might not make it out of this and stay in the corp with you. But you went forward with it. Basically, Mr. Potter, you passed the test just walking into the labyrinth."

"S-s-so," Ron stammered. "You mean we're -"

"Aurors, Mr. Weasley," Allison said, "Congratulations."

Allison smiled and walked away.

"Oh," she said, turning around. "Kingsley will want to see you first thing on Monday. Eight-o-clock sharp. I wouldn't miss this one, you two. Good luck."

Ron's jaw dropped as he watched Allison walk toward the door of the Danger Room.

"Bloody hell," Ron said.

He turned to Harry, who was staring at his wand. He started chuckling.

"Have you taken the mickey?" Ron asked.

"I was just thinking," Harry said, quietly, "It was an insane Death Eater who told me I would be an excellent Auror."

Ron saw tears in Harry's eyes. He grinned and put an arm around his best mate.

"Come on, mate," Ron said, walking with him toward the entrance of the Danger Room. "Lunch is on me."

"You're really thinking of food at a time like this?" Harry asked, chuckling.

"I was attacked by a boggart that I thought was a bloody Acromantula," Ron said. "I was almost killed by an exploding hedge. Then I was turned upside down, in the middle of a duel with a guy about twice my weight, in the middle of a labyrinth. Yeah, mate. I need some food."

Harry just laughed as they walked out of the Danger Room.

-  
**Well, I imagined this chapter to be a lot longer, but aw well. I liked it. Hope you did too! **


	46. Meeting With the Minister

**Chapter 46  
Meeting with the Minister**

**(Ron's PoV)**

A few hours after he and Harry found out that they were now officially a part of the Auror department, Ron was sitting on his couch at home with a large notebook of parchment in front of him. That morning, after he had announced that he was wanting to work on the wedding plans, Hermione had shown him the notebook. She had already jotted down a few ideas inside. He promised then he would add a few of his own by the time Hermione returned home.

Hermione had attached a small note to the front of the notebook, instructing Ron to jot down a check-mark next to her ideas that he had agreed with. He immediately put a check next to the first one, which read "Purchase one of the Marquees from Weasley Wizard Wheezes." The month of May always brought rain to England, especially around the area where the Burrow was located.

Hermione had also listed names of friends who could be her choice for bridesmaids. Ron immediately put a check-mark next to Ginny's name. He also put one next to Luna's and Angelina's names. With one look at Fleur's name, he chuckled to himself and put the words "I'd talk to Ginny about that one!" next to Fleur's name.

Ron put down names for the best men, including: Harry, Bill and George. He thought of the next name he wanted to put down. He then nodded, and proceeded to jot down the words "open spot where Fred would have stood."

"Hermione and I may be getting married on the day you died, Freddie, old boy," Ron said to himself, as he looked at his late brother's name, "But that doesn't mean we wouldn't forget you."

The front door opened with a thud, making Ron look up. Hermione walked in through the doorway.

"Is there something wrong with this door?" she asked, looking at it.

"I don't know," Ron said, "It was acting weird for me too. The hinges might be getting old. Might have to get some new ones."

Hermione shut the door behind her, and looked at Ron.

"Going through wedding plans?" she asked.

"Like I promised I would," Ron said, then put his hand on the couch cushion next to him, "Come sit down. I have something I want to tell you."

"Ooh," Hermione said, grinning, "Is this about your Trial Exams?"

"Yeah," Ron said, trying to keep himself from grinning just yet.

"How did you do?" Hermione asked, sitting down, "Did you pass? Did Harry?"

"Yeah," Ron said.

"Brilliant!" Hermione said, "I knew you would. So you're on to the next month of training?"

"Not exactly," Ron said.

Hermione looked at him, frowning.

"Oh, no, Ron," she said, soothingly, "What happened?"

"Hermione," Ron said, "you are now looking at one of the two newest members of the Auror Department."

Hermione's jaw dropped.

"What?" she asked.

"Kingsley has promoted Harry and I," Ron said, "to official Aurors."

"You're – you're serious?" Hermione asked, a shocked grin, splitting her lips.

Ron nodded and grinned. Hermione squealed lightly and hugged Ron, then kissed him.

"But – how?" she asked, her arms still around him, "I thought you still had three months to go in training?"

"Kingsley's orders, I guess," Ron said, "I don't know all the details yet, on his end. Harry and I have to meet him in his office on Monday morning. But... if we passed the exams today, he told Allison that we'd be promoted to Aurors. And we passed."

"This is brilliant!" Hermione said, "I didn't expect this!"

"_You _didn't?" Ron laughed, "How do you think I feel? Here I was thinking I would have to go through three more months of that. I thought I was already at my wit's end with this test."

"We need to celebrate this," Hermione said, "What do you want for dinner?"

"You're wanting to celebrate with food?" Ron asked, laughing.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Whatever you want," Ron said.

"Ron," Hermione said, laughing, "That doesn't help me much."

"I'm serious," Ron said, "I haven't even thought of it. I'm focused on this right now."

He motioned to notebook.

"Okay," Hermione said, "How about pizza? You seemed to like it when we had it for Christmas."

"Whatever you want," Ron said again.

Hermione playfully slapped Ron's knee.

"You're ruining the mood, you know," she said, shaking her head, "I'm very happy for you, and you seem as if you've gotten some bad news."

"I can't help it," Ron said, "I'm still not over the shock of this whole thing. So I'm working on the wedding plans until it hits me."

"Okay," Hermione said, sighing, "Pizza, it is. But not for a few hours. So... wedding plans?"

"Yep," Ron said.

"Let me change into something more comfortable," Hermione said, "And we'll work on those."

Hermione kissed him lightly again then stood up and disappeared into the hall. Ron grinned and looked back down at the notebook. He was then interrupted by a light pecking sound. Harry's owl, Ares, was sitting on the windowsill. Ron walked over to the window and opened it up. He took the roll of parchment from the owl, unrolled it, and started to read:

_Ron_

_Harry just told me. Congratulations! I can't believe it! My brother... an actual Auror! I am going to write to Mum, and send Ares to her when he gets back from delivering this to you. So don't let him stay very long! You know she'll want to know! Ooh, she'll be all of a dither. How's Hermione taking it? Did you tell her yet? I'm sure she's very happy. Harry doesn't know exactly what to say yet. He keeps mentioning something about insane Death Eaters. I'm about to smack him if he doesn't become just a bit happier about all of this! Just kidding... I think..._

_Ginny_

Ron laughed as he read the letter. He could imagine Ginny writing it rather quickly, a grin across her lips as she did. Ron grabbed the quill and replied to the bottom of the letter.

_Ginny_

_Thanks, sis. Hermione's taking it rather well. She's trying to celebrate with an offering of food. She must be happy then, because she usually looks at me strange when I want something to eat at random moments. Don't be too rough on Harry. He's probably in a state of shock and you might injure him before he can even start as an Auror. I'll wait patiently for Mum's letter... though, I know I'll regret it._

_Ron_

Ron rolled up the bit of parchment and attached back to Ares' leg. Ares flew off and Ron shut the window.

"Letters of congratulations?" Hermione asked, as Ron turned around.

"Ginny," Ron said, taking a seat back on the couch, "She's happy of course, though she's rather surprised Harry's quiet about the whole thing. Anyway, she's writing to Mum now. So I guess I can expect a long letter of congratulations from her."

Hermione grinned and sat on the couch next to him.

"So, let's see what you have," Hermione said, grabbing the notebook.

Ron watched Hermione's eyes, as they darted back and forth through the page. She laughed at one point.

"I guess I should talk to Ginny before I make Fleur a bridesmaid," she said.

"Probably a good idea," Ron said, "Otherwise she'd probably hex you. I don't need my bride covered in bat bogeys on our wedding day."

Hermione chuckled. She looked back at the notebook, and Ron saw a tear in her eye.

"Oh, Ron," she said, grinning, "An open spot for Fred among your best men? I love that."

Ron smiled.

-  
A few hours later, while Ron and Hermione were waiting for the pizza to arrive, Frederique arrived with a letter from his mother. He took the roll of parchment from the owl's large talons and started to read it.

_Ron,_

_Ginny just wrote and told me! An Auror, you and Harry both! I am so very proud of you! Your father arrived right after I received Ginny's letter. He's very proud of you as well!_

_He said he had heard from Minister Shacklebolt earlier today about your new promotion. An Auror, three months early than the rest of your trainees. That normally doesn't happen! He must be very impressed with you. You_

_know Kingsley was an Auror himself, so he must have seen something in you and Harry. Your father said that Kingsley was being all hush-hush about it, and that he'd talk to you and Harry about everything first. Just remember to mind your manners around the Minister. Wear something smart. It is not every day you get to have a meeting with the Minister of Magic! _

_I'm sure you'll be a wonderful Auror, but promise me by return letter that you'll be very careful. Being an Auror isn't as dangerous as it was during the First and Second War, but it is still a dangerous job._

_So very happy with you and Harry!_

_Mum_

Ron grinned as he read the letter. He handed it to Hermione, who seemed to be trying her best not to read it over her shoulder. Hermione read it, then looked up at him.

"She's right, you know," she said, "An Auror is still a dangerous job these days."

"We've been through a lot worse," Ron said.

"I know that, Ron," Hermione said, "But..."

"You're worried about me, aren't you?" Ron asked.

"Of course I am," Hermione said, "I'd be mental if I wasn't."

Ron smiled and took Hermione's hand.

"You know I'd decline Kingsley's invitation if you wanted me to," Ron said.

"Ron," Hermione said, shaking her head.

"I'd find something else to do," Ron said, "if you wanted me to."

"No, Ron," Hermione said, "Of course not. I know this is something you want do."

"We're going to be married in eight months, Hermione," Ron said, "We need to start thinking of making decisions together."

"I know that," Hermione said, squeezing Ron's hand, "And that is why I'm supporting this."

She looked into his eyes and kissed him.

"However," she said, "if something happens to you, I'll kill you myself."

"And I'll haunt you for the rest of your life," Ron said, "Just to be around you."

Hermione grinned.

"However," Ron said, "I probably would scare any new boyfriends away that you might have."

Hermione rolled her eyes. Ron took the letter back from her and started on the reply to his mother. When he finished, he tied the letter to Frederique, who then flew off.

-  
On Monday morning, Ron and Harry walked into the Minister of Magic's office precisely at eight-o-clock in the morning.

"Ah, the two newest additions to the Auror Department," Kingsley said, "Come. Take a seat. Do you want anything to drink?"

Ron and Harry declined as they took their seats.

"If you two don't mind," Kingsley said, "I'm going to cut out the small talk and get right into business. We have a lot to talk about, and I am a busy man. Is that okay?"

Ron and Harry nodded.

"The reason I promoted you two to Aurors three months early," Kingsley said, "is because you've proved to me that you don't need any more training. The next three months could pass by, and you'd find yourself in the same position you are in now. True, perhaps you would have a bit more training. I could understand that. For that reason, I want the two of you to be honest with me right now. If you believe you need more training, I will take back my decision and you can walk right back to the corp and train for your next exam. What do you say?"

"I'm ready for this, Minister," Harry said.

"So am I," Ron said.

"I never expected any less from either of you," Kingsley said. "You both impressed me quite a lot. I've known you for years now. You've been through things that the majority of your fellow Aurors could only dream of. But it is recent events that have impressed me more."

"Sir?" Harry asked.

"You were unprepared for your investigation at Azkaban," Kingsley said, "but you went ahead with it, and you succeeded. Maybe not unscathed, but nobody would walk out of Azkaban, even after a couple hours, without some kind of side-effect. To be completely honest, I visited Azkaban after you were finished with your investigations. After four hours of doing my own investigations, I left with cold-sweats and I was away from my office for a whole day. So, no, not even the Minister of Magic can escape the wrath of that awful place."

Kingsley chuckled softly, mostly to himself.

"Then just days ago," he said, "you answered the call for help when there was trouble at the Surejan Dragon Reserve, even when it was expected that actual Aurors would be needed for the task."

"To be honest, sir," Ron said, "That was my fiancee who needed our help. I would have gone even if I wasn't training to be an Auror."

Harry nodded in agreement.

"But that is exactly what I mean, Mr. Weasley," Kingsley said, "You'd risk your life without a second thought. That proves to me you have the makings of a fine Auror."

He turned to Harry.

"Mr. Potter," he said, "you could have been an Auror without having to endure months of the training corp, but you decided to take that path instead."

"Yes, sir," Harry said.

"I had assumed that this was because you wished to join up with Mr. Weasley, here," Kingsley said, "But I believe I am mistaken?"

"I joined the training corp for two reasons," Harry said. "First of all, I believe I needed more training. You, and the rest of the wizarding world might see me highly skilled because of everything I've done, but anyone who knows me closely, will tell you that I've had loads of help. So, I didn't see myself as qualified enough to be a member of the Auror department just yet."

"And now?" Kingsley asked.

"I think I've gone through enough training to accept your invitation," Harry said.

"And your second reason?" Kingsley asked.

"I may be called the Hero of the Second War, Minister," Harry said, "But I'm not the kind of guy who wants special privileges just because of the things I've done. I wanted to go through what every other Auror in the history of the Department has had to go through. Otherwise I don't think I would have seen myself as a true Auror."

Kingsley nodded approvingly.

"Harry," Kingsley said, "May I ask why you originally wanted to become an Auror?"

"I didn't want anything like the First and Second Wars to happen again," Harry said.

"What if I told you," Kingsley said, "there was a chance something like that could happen again? In the near future?"

"You're referring to this new threat, sir?" Harry asked.

"How much do the two of you know of this threat?" Kingsley asked.

"Well," Harry said, "For starters, Sam Thorpe and Ralph Fetcher -"

"Neither have been heard from for weeks now," Kingsley said. "We believe they may have been killed by this rogue group of wizards."

"What about Fetcher's list?" Ron asked.

Kingsley shook his head.

"You never found it?" Harry asked.

"Unfortunately, we did not," Kingsley said.

"What about the attack at the dragon reserve?" Ron asked.

Kingsley nodded approvingly.

"Yes, Mr. Ron," Kingsley said. "We have reasons to believe the rogue group was behind this attack. Their intentions were to kidnap some of the dragons."

"But why?" Ron asked.

"We believe they are planning something big," Kingsley said, "Though we do not know what exactly. We do have one clue, though. Harry, you were part of the force that met this rogue group when they reached the reserve, is this right?"

"Yeah," Harry said, "As was Ron."

"We believe the rogue group stopped their attack because they saw you," Kingsley said.

"Me?" Harry asked, "But -"

"You were not part of their plan," Kingsley said, "At least... not at that moment."

"So their target is Harry?" Ron asked.

"We believe so," Kingsley said, "Well, at least a part of it. We have reasons to believe that they are afraid of you, Harry. They want to make sure you can't interfere in their bigger plans. We also have reason to believe they know you."

"I don't understand, sir," Harry said.

"You must have realized, Harry," Kingsley said, "what the reasons behind my investigations were."

"Sure," Harry said, nodding, "You were looking for connections to the Death Eaters and – oh."

Kingsley nodded approvingly.

"You understand, Harry," Kingsley said.

"Er... what?" Ron asked.

"Kingsley believes the rogue group is the children of Death Eaters," Harry said. "Which means that some of our fellow classmates from Hogwarts could be part of the group. Have you been in contact with these students?"

"We've focused mostly on the Slytherin house," Kingsley said. "Unfortunately we cannot find some of the students. Many of whom have direct connections to Death Eaters by their bloodline. With that, we've come to the subject of your first mission. I want the two of you to visit Malfoy Manor today and talk to Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy."

Ron's eyes widened as he stared at Kingsley.

"But," Harry said, "I thought the Malfoys have paid for their crimes. Out of everyone, they were the first to change their ways."

"Precisely," Kingsley said, "Unfortunately, if we are dealing with your fellow students, and most of them are Slytherins, Draco Malfoy is right in the middle of them. He is known to have been friendly with who we believe to be part of this rogue group. He could be easily persuaded to join up with them. If you find him, he might lead us to the rogue group. So, with that in mind, I want the two of you to go to the Auror Department, and get settled in. I want you to be at the Malfoy Manor in no less than two hours. When you are finished, I want you to report directly to me with your findings, no matter how busy I am."

Kingsley nodded to the doorway. Harry and Ron stood up and walked out of the Minister's office, and headed toward the lifts.

"First day as an Auror," Ron said, as he entered the lifts, "And we have to interrogate the Malfoys. Just what I wanted to do. We're going to be as welcome in their house as a free house elf. What does Kingsley expect us to find?"

"I don't know, mate," Harry said, "As much as I hate to say it, the Malfoys have changed their ways. Believe me, I would like no better than to see each of them in Azkaban. But they are no longer connected to the Death Eaters."

"And yet Kingsley thinks Draco could be," Ron said. "Well, I'll say this. Draco does seem like he would be the first to join a rogue group hell bent on revenge."

"I don't think so," Harry said, "He's changed. Even before Voldemort's fall, Draco had changed. Voldemort's control over him scared him."

"I hope you are right, Harry," Ron said.

"I hope I'm right," Harry said, "I don't want to know what will happen if I'm not."

-  
**I'll just end that right there. Ron and Harry talk to the Malfoys next chapter! What will they find out? You'll have to wait and see.**

**Hope you liked this chapter! **


	47. Return To Malfoy Manor

**Chapter 47  
Return To Malfoy Manor**

**(Ron's PoV)**

At ten that morning, Ron and Harry arrived at Malfoy Manor via Apparation, fully dressed in Auror robes. As he and Harry walked up toward the large iron-wrought gate, Ron looked up at the large house.

Suddenly, in his own mind, he was back there... back on the day when the Snatchers had captured him, Hermione, and the others. He could hear Hermione's screams and cries, the result of torture at the hands of the late Bellatrix Lestrange, as he tried, desperately to call for her, to let her know he was still there. He could picture Hermione, unconscious in Bellatrix's arms, and a drop of blood dripping from her neck, as the knife pressed against her skin. He could see the chandelier landing on the floor with an echoing crash, and Hermione trapped underneath. He could remember pulling her away from it and apparating her and himself to safety.

He could hear his own voice... trying to to make Hermione wake up... as he was carrying her into Shell Cottage. He remembered wondering if she would ever wake up again...

"Ron?" Harry said, his voice breaking Ron from his reverie.

Ron realized he was standing in place, about ten feet behind Harry.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked.

"I never thought I'd have to come back here," Ron said, quietly.

Harry walked back to Ron and put his arm around his best mate.

"We won't stay long," Harry said, "I promise."

Ron nodded and walked forward toward the gate. Ron inhaled and tapped on the gate. It immediately opened at his touch. Ron and Harry looked at each other.

"You think they know we're coming?" Ron asked.

"No," Harry said, "We're in Auror robes. The gate is probably charmed to let any Ministry officials inside without hesitation."

"You're sure?" Ron asked.

Ron could tell from Harry's expression that he wasn't. They walked up the cobbled walkway. On either side of them were hedges, not unlike those in the labyrinth they had experienced the previous Friday. This did not help Ron's mood much.

Suddenly, the sound of something cracking broke through the air. Ron took his wand from his pocket, and, at the same time, spun around toward the sound. An albino peacock was standing there, staring at him and Harry. A broken twig laid under one of its feet.

"Bloody bird," Ron muttered, sheathing his wand.

Ron and Harry turned and walked up the steps to the front door. Harry tapped his knuckles on the oak door. A few moments later, the door opened and Lucius Malfoy stood there. His eyes looked back and forth between Harry and Ron.

"May I help you?" Lucius asked, and Ron could tell he was trying his best to be polite.

"Auror Department, Mr. Malfoy," Harry said, "We would like to speak to you and your wife."

"You two... Aurors?" Lucius scoffed, "Prove it."

Ron and Harry held up their Auror Identification tags they had made only an hour ago. Lucius stared at the tags for a moment then back up at Harry and Ron. He opened the door more, backed away and motioned for them to come in. Lucius led them into the living room. Narcissa Malfoy was sitting on one of the sofas. As Ron and Harry sat down on the sofa on the other side of the coffee table, Narcissa stared at them.

"What is the meaning of this?" she asked, as Lucius sat down beside her.

"We have some questions for you," Ron said.

"Please begin then," Lucius said.

"Mr. Malfoy, is Draco here right now?" Harry said.

"Not at the moment," Lucius said, "May I ask why?"

"Have you noticed any changes in his personality as of late?" Harry asked.

"Why do you want to know?" Narcissa asked.

"Answer the question," Ron said.

Harry glanced sideways at him.

"Er... please," Ron added.

"Draco's mood has changed ever since he became close with someone," Lucius said.

"Astoria Greengrass?" Harry said.

"Yes," Lucius said, "How did you –?"

"We've seen Draco and Miss Greengrass together in Diagon Alley before," Harry said. "How exactly has his mood changed?"

"I believe he has fallen in love with Miss Greengrass," Lucius said.

Ron scoffed silently. He could hardly picture Draco Malfoy falling in love. Narcissa's scoff, however, was rather loud.

"Dear," Lucius said, looking sideways at his wife, "remember your manners. We are in the presence of Aurors."

Lucius looked back at Harry.

"I must apologize," Lucius said, "My wife isn't exactly – er – you may say she does not approve of our son's relationship with Astoria Greengrass."

"Why?" Ron asked, "Is something wrong with her?"

"There is nothing wrong with Astoria," Narcissa said, "I just happen to believe Draco is in bad company."

"I don't understand," Harry said.

"Astoria is much more – er - presentable than her sister, you could say," Narcissa said.

"Daphne?" Ron asked.

"You know her, then," Narcissa said.

"She was our classmate," Harry said.

"We speak to Daphne and Astoria's parents on a regular basis," Lucius said. "They talk about Astoria a lot, and how much she adores Draco. But when it comes to Daphne... we barely hear any word about her from her parents."

"Would you know why?" Harry asked.

"No," Lucius said, "You're Aurors, are you not? Why don't you talk to them?"

"I'm sure we will, Mr. Malfoy," Harry said, "Back to the subject of Draco. You said he was not here. Would you know where he is at the moment?"

"No clue," Lucius said, "He moved out a couple of weeks ago. All he said was that his new job was unpredictable and he had to live with his boss, in case something happened at work."

"Would you know where his new job is?" Harry asked.

"He never said," Lucius said.

"We'll be able to find out, Harry," Ron said. "The Ministry always keeps those kinds of records."

Harry nodded and looked back at Lucius.

"I have to ask this, Mr. Malfoy," he said, "Do you know of any reason why Draco would want to join a rogue group of wizards?"

"What are you implying?" Narcissa asked, "Draco would never join on the side of Dark again. He knows what it was like to live like that, and he regrets it!"

"We have reason to believe, Mrs. Malfoy," Harry said, "that some of Draco's fellow Slytherin classmates from Hogwarts are part of a rogue group. The purpose of this group may be revenge... for the deaths of former Death Eaters... their family members."

Narcissa looked at Lucius, and Ron noticed that she looked rather worried. Lucius shook his head and looked back at Harry.

"Draco lost contact with his classmates when he dropped out of school after his sixth year," Lucius said. "We don't believe he would ever have any reason to contact them again, especially if it means they have connections to his former past. As my wife said, Draco wishes to move away from the past. As do both of us."

"Anything else you think we need to ask?" Harry asked Ron in a low voice.

"No, let's just get out of here," Ron muttered.

Harry nodded and looked back at the Malfoys.

"Okay," he said, "I believe that is all for now. We may have further questions later. Thank you for your time."

"We'll – er – just let ourselves out," Ron said.

Harry and Ron stood up and walked out of the living room. Ron felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to Harry. Harry put his finger to his mouth and crept over to the wall, near the door of the living room. Ron walked over to the front door, opened it and closed it. He then crept back over toward Harry.

"There's no way Draco would join that group, right?" Lucius asked Narcissa.

"I – I don't know," Narcissa said. "That talk about 'revenge for the deaths of Death Eaters who were family.' worried me a bit."

"You think Draco would join them to get revenge for the death of your sister?" Lucius asked.

"It is possible," Narcissa said, and Ron heard a sob come from her voice, "My sister certainly had her talons dug deep into Draco. He admired her, even if she frightened him."

Harry nudged Ron and pointed at the door. Ron nodded, and they walked over to the door and opened it silently, then walked out.

"I knew there was something they weren't telling us," Harry said, as he and Ron headed back up the cobbled walkway. "Draco has a reason to join that rogue group, and that makes him vulnerable to influence if the group ever came calling on him."

"What is our next move?" Ron asked.

"I really would like a word with Mr. and Mrs. Greengrass," Harry said. "Unfortunately, I have no idea where they live. So we need to report back to Kingsley and tell him what we found. I'm sure he'll give us permission to talk to Astoria's parents."

"I agree," Ron said. "Glad to be out of there, though. I really hope we don't have to come back here anytime soon."

Harry nodded. They walked back through the gateway and apparated back to the Ministry. A few minutes later, they arrived back at the Minister's office, and were allowed in by his personal bodyguard.

"Ah, gentlemen," Kingsley said, as he sat at his desk, "I didn't expect you back for a while. What did you find out?"

"Well, for starters," Harry said, "Draco doesn't live at Malfoy Manor at the moment. He is apparently living with his boss, because his new job is 'unpredictable', according to what he told his parents."

"Do you know where Draco is working?" Kingsley asked.

"They didn't tell us," Ron said, "But we figured the Ministry would know."

"Indeed," Kingsley said, "I will take care of that after we're done here. What else?"

"If Draco is a part of the rogue group," Harry said, "We believe we may have found his motive. He may have joined to sought revenge on the death of his aunt, Bellatrix."

"Blimey," Ron said, as a sudden thought came to his mind, "She was killed in a duel with my mother. But that would mean – oh no."

"I will write to your mother personally very shortly, Mr. Weasley," Kingsley said. "We will make sure your parents have the best protection. You have my promise."

"Thank you, sir," Ron said.

"Anything else?" Harry asked.

"Yes, sir," Harry said, "We need permission to speak to Mr. and Mrs. Greengrass."

"Alaric and Katrina Greengrass are very respectable in the wizarding world, Mr. Potter," Kingsley said, "I know them personally. Alaric is a member of the Unspeakables in the Department of Mysteries. Neither him nor his wife have connections to Death Eaters. And yet, you believe they have a connection here?"

"Their daughter, sir," Harry said, "Daphne. The way the Malfoys talked about her, we believe she may be a suspect member of this rogue group."

"Also, sir," Ron said, "I think you should know Daphne's sister, Astoria, is apparently in a relationship with Draco."

"Okay," Kingsley said, "I will write a letter to them and request your presence. If I am successful, you can go to their residence and speak to them. Is that all?"

"Yes, sir," Harry said.

"Well, it seems my busy day has gotten even busier," Kingsley said. "You two have done brilliantly today. There is nothing else I need from you today. You may take the rest of the day off."

"Thank you, sir," Harry said.

"Mr. Weasley," Kingsley said, "I will write a letter to you personally to let you know when I have fulfilled my promise. Expect a letter by this evening."

"Thank you, sir," Ron said.

"You two are excused," Kingsley said.

Ron and Harry nodded and headed toward the door.

"Oh, one more thing, gentlemen," Kingsley said.

Ron and Harry turned around.

"Everything we've talked about today," Kingsley said, "Everything you've learned about the rogue group... it stays in the Auror Department or in this office."

"Yes, sir," Harry said.

"You completely understand?" Kingsley asked. "This means, no matter how curious your friends are about it, you are not permitted to talk to them about it."

"Not even our fiancees?" Ron asked.

"Not even them, Mr. Weasley," Kingsley said.

"Okay," Ron said.

"You have our word, Minister," Harry said.

Ron and Harry walked out of the office.

"Great," Ron said, "I hate keeping secrets from Hermione."

"Tell her it is confidential, mate," Harry said, "She'll understand."

Ron nodded, then sighed.

"You don't think Draco would go after my mother, do you?" he asked, as they headed for the lifts.

"No, Ron," Harry said, "He wouldn't do that."

"This is Malfoy we're talking about, Harry," Ron said.

"I know that, Ron," Harry said. "But you have to think of everything we know right now. He's changed. He's fallen in love. Does that sound like the old Draco Malfoy to you?"

"But," Ron said, "if Astoria is also mixed up in all of this, then -"

"I don't think she is," Harry said. "The way Draco's parents talked about her... honestly, she sounds like an innocent bystander."

The lifts opened in front of them, and Harry and Ron walked into them.

"Astoria's sister, Daphne, on the other hand," Harry said, "She has something to do with this. I'd bet my wand on it."

-  
**(Draco's PoV)  
**

Late in the afternoon, Draco was in the kitchen, doing the dishes without magic. Pansy was sitting at the kitchen table, staring at the charmed mirror, like she was usually doing whenever Ron and Hermione were home. The only thing Draco could hear coming from the mirror was paper shuffling.

"Must be working on wedding plans again," Draco said. "He must really love Granger to be so dedicated to that kind of stuff."

"Spare me," Pansy said.

Suddenly, there was the sound of a door opening and closing coming from the mirror.

"Granger's home," Pansy said, "Shh."

"Welcome home, love," Ron's voice said.

Pansy rolled her eyes.

"How was your first day in the Auror department?" Hermione's voice said.

"Informing," Ron said.

"Really?" Hermione asked.

"Mmhmm," Ron said, "Harry and I had our first mission today."

"What was it?" Hermione asked. "Or can you talk about it?"

"Sorry, Hermione," Ron said, "Can't talk about it. It's confidential. Kingsley's orders."

"Blast!" Pansy said, "I should have known."

"Daphne's not going to be too happy about that one," Draco said. "That was one of the things she wanted us to find out."

"You think I don't know that?" Pansy said.

"Working on wedding plans again?" Hermione asked.

"Wedding rubbish again," Pansy said, "Draco, you listen to that conversation. You seem to like it."

Pansy stood up and walked out of the kitchen. Draco listened to Ron and Hermione discuss wedding plans while he did the dishes, though only with one ear. He wasn't very happy with the thought of eavesdropping on these kind of moments. Daphne had said nothing specific about listening in on this type of subject.

Draco then heard a light tapping sound coming through the mirror.

"Finally!" Ron said.

"You were expecting owl post?" Hermione asked.

"I found out something rather... discouraging today during my mission," Ron said, "And Kingsley said he would find out about it and write to me."

Draco heard a shuffling of parchment and then nothing for a few moments.

"Well, that is comforting," Ron said, "Here. You can look at this."

More shuffling of paper and then nothing.

"Kingsley thinks your mother is in danger?" Hermione asked, after a moment.

Draco turned around toward the mirror, dripping soap on the floor as he did.

"Keep reading," Ron said.

Another pause.

"Oh, Ron," Hermione said, "You don't really think he would go after your mother just cause she killed his aunt?"

Draco's eyes widened. There was only one person they could possibly be talking about. As far as he knew, Ron's mother had only been responsible for the murder of one person.

"I wouldn't put it past him," Ron said, scoffing.

Draco walked over to the mirror and picked it up.

"Say it, Weasley," Draco said.

"He's changed, Ron," Hermione said, "He's in love. Love can change a person for the better."

"Say it!" Draco muttered.

"That's what Harry said," Ron said, "But I don't think so. Once a Malfoy, always a Malfoy."

Though he had expected it, Draco's eyes widened. Draco heard Pansy's footsteps coming back.

"Can we not talk about this, Ron," Hermione said, "I'm sure your mother will be fine."

Another pause.

"Okay," Ron said, after a moment "Sorry, let's get back to planning on the wedding."

"They're still talking about the wedding?" Pansy scoffed.

Draco turned and looked at Pansy. He inhaled.

"Er... yeah," Draco said. "Boring rubbish. Nothing interesting."

"Figures," Pansy scoffed.

Draco put the mirror down and headed back over to the sink. He thought about what he had heard. So the Minister of Magic thought he was going to target Ron's mother, because she killed his aunt, Bellatrix? What did that mean? Did that mean he was one of their targets? He sighed and shook his head. He had to do something, but what?

He then smiled privately as a thought came to his mind. If it worked, it would free his name up from the Ministry's watch-list, if it was even on it, and he could still be on the inside in the rogue group without anyone finding out.

Unfortunately, he knew he wouldn't get the chance to work out his plan until the end of the month. He just hoped he could last that long.

-  
**Well, this just got interesting! I hope the part with Draco and Pansy listening in on the conversation wasn't confusing.**

**Hope you liked this chapter!**


	48. The List

**Chapter 48  
The List**

**Author's Note: A lot of people are interested in what Draco is planning. Unfortunately, I have to keep up the suspense for that for a little while. The event I have planned for that is not until the end of the month story-wise. I have one or two more chapters planned before I want to get to that part of the story. So be patient. Thanks! **

**(Harry's PoV)**

Tuesday morning, Harry arrived at the Ministry of Magic for his second day as an official member of the Auror Department. He still couldn't believe how he was already in the middle of the investigation about the new threat.

He had thought about that the entire previous night. Did Kingsley trust Harry and Ron enough to give them what could be their biggest investigation this early on in their career? He wasn't sure about that.

He had been wondering all weekend why Kingsley had promoted him and Ron to Aurors, three months before they would finish their training. Kingsley knew Harry's past history very well. Harry and the Minister had even been through some of the rough spots together, and Ron was right there with them for much of it. Had Kingsley really promoted them early, just because he thought Harry and Ron could help the Aurors end this thread once and for all?

He made his way through the hustle and bustle of Ministry workers. By the time he made it to one of the lifts, it was rather full. He squeezed into it just seconds before the doors shut behind him.

Around him, Ministry workers were talking to others about different things. Harry's training the past few months heightened his ability to listen to different things. In this case, different bits of conversation in the middle of a sea of voices. Most of the time, it was a useful skill. But not at the moment. The down side to that skill, is that most of the stuff he usually heard at any moment's notice wasn't too important to anything surrounding him.

For example, the gentleman at the back of the lift was drying himself off with a spell, while explaining to someone near him that he had ended up in a malfunctioning toilet, which was one of the entryways into the Ministry. An elderly witch was complaining away about the incredibly tough pamphlet she had to work through for the whole day, if she wanted any chance at getting the new promotion, that would give her enough free time to spend with their new grandchild. Harry stood there wondering if anyone else besides him was really listening to her.

"Level Two," the cool voice overhead said, a few minutes later, "Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including the Improper Use of Magic Office, Auror Headquarters and Wizengamot Administration Services."

Just as Harry stepped out of the lifts, he felt something hit him in the back of the head. Harry turned on his feet but didn't see anyone behind him. He looked at his feet and saw a small piece of parchment stirring feebly on the ground. Harry picked it up and found that it had been addressed to him. At the top of the memo was the Minister of Magic's seal. Harry read it:

_Mr. Potter_

_Your presence is needed in the Minister of Magic's office immediately. Mr. Weasley is already there._

The memo zoomed out of his hands a moment later then disintegrated in a small ball of fire.

Harry had planned to get into his Auror robes before he started the day, but he decided it was not as important as a request for his immediate presence with the Minister. He pressed a button on one of the lifts, and the lift to the one he had come through opened up. Harry walked into it and the lift went back to the first floor.

A couple minutes later, he was being let into the Minister's office. Ron was standing near the door, waiting for him, already wearing his Auror robes.

"Where are your robes?" Ron whispered.

"Got a memo to get here before I could get to the Auror department," Harry said.

"You need to get here earlier, mate," Ron said.

Harry was about to make a retort on how it was usually Ron who was not known for his punctuality, when he noticed there were more people in Minister's office than just himself, Ron and Kingsley. A man and woman were standing near the fireplace looking rather nervous and confused about why they were there.

"Ah, finally," Kingsley said, "We can now begin. Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley. I would like you to meet Alaric and Katrina Greengrass. They have taken time out of their busy schedules to meet you here. They thought it was easier for the two of you if they just met you here at the Ministry. Now, I must be going for a little bit. Very busy, you see. Feel free to sit down at the chairs around my desk if it will make you comfortable."

"You won't be here for this?" Alaric asked.

"I assure you, Mr. Greengrass," Kingsley said, "You have nothing to fear. You are in no better hands than those of the two gentleman here. Answer their questions the best you can, and you will be finished. Then you can get back down to the Department of Mysteries and – you know – do whatever Unspeakables do down there."

Kingsley nodded to them, then walked around his desk and proceeded to leave his office. Harry and Ron sat down in two of the chairs near the desk. Alaric and Katrina hadn't moved from their spot at all. Harry studied the two.

"So you're an Unspeakable, eh?" Ron asked Alaric.

Harry recognized it as an attempt, though a rather lame one, to start the conversation off slow. Usually this would allow time for the Aurors, who were doing the interrogation, to study those whom they were questioning. There had been no attempt at this with the Malfoys, because he and Ron already knew what they needed to know about the Malfoys in order to ask them questions.

"Yes," Alaric answered.

"Does that mean you aren't allowed to talk to us?" Ron asked.

"I am allowed to say anything to you," Alaric said, "that does not have to do with the Department of Mysteries. I get the impression that the Department of Mysteries is not what you wanted to talk to me and my wife about."

"No, sir," Harry said, "Yesterday, we talked to Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. Their son, Draco is dating your daughter, Astoria, right?"

"That is correct," Alaric said.

"Have you noticed anything strange between Astoria and Draco?" Harry asked. "Anything in particular?"

Alaric looked at his wife.

"Astoria writes home from Hogwarts at least once a week," Katrina said. "In every letter, she seems to worry about Draco. I guess they promised to write to each other, and Draco hasn't been answering some of her letters. She's worried he may be in some sort of trouble. Is this why you asked to talk to us? Is this about Draco?"

"How do you feel about Draco?" Harry asked.

"He's a nice young man," Katrina said, "We have been friends with his parents for years."

"Even when they were Death Eaters?" Ron asked.

"We had no knowledge of that fact until we heard about it in the newspapers after Voldemort had fallen," Alaric said. "When they renounced their ways, we felt that they needed our friendship in a time like that. We bonded quite well. If my daughter was to marry any man, I would have no problem if she married the son of the Malfoys."

"Okay," Harry said, "Now, to your other daughter, Daphne."

Immediately, Harry noticed Alaric and Katrina look at each other. Katrina looked worried.

"You seem to know what I am wanting to ask," Harry said.

"Daphne's had a hard time recently," Alaric said.

"Since when?" Harry asked.

Alaric swallowed. "Since the Second War finished," he said.

"A few of her friends were killed during the Second War," Katrina said. "Also a few relatives of her surviving friends were killed. She took it very hard. She wouldn't come down from her bedroom for a while after she graduated from Hogwarts. We found out that she started sneaking out and meeting up with her friends late at night. Then one day, she seemed okay. Not cheerful. She was never a cheerful child. Astoria has always been the cheerful one of the two. But Daphne... as I said, she seemed okay, all of a sudden. We talked to her about what had changed and she said -"

Katrina looked back at her husband.

"Yes?" Harry asked.

"She said she was getting help with her problems," Alaric said, "Her friends were helping her through her issues. The only issues we could think of was – like my wife mentioned – the deaths of her friends, and the other people that were dear to her."

"We wondered how she could get over it so suddenly," Katrina said. "We still haven't figured that part out yet."

Harry took a piece of parchment from a stack on the desk, and a quill. He walked over to Alaric.

"Could you write down the names of Daphne's friends that you think she might have been meeting?" he asked.

Alaric took the piece of parchment, and looked back at Harry.

"Daphne isn't in any kind of trouble, is she?" he asked.

"We don't know, sir," Harry said. "That is what we want to find out. Draco Malfoy lost one of his relatives during the Second War. Do you believe, if Daphne wanted to help out her friends who were similar, that she would try to help him too?"

Alaric looked at Katrina. Katrina looked at Harry and shook her head.

"Daphne's not very fond of Draco," Katrina said. "It has been that way ever since she found out he was dating Astoria."

"Is she envious of Astoria's relationship with Draco?" Harry asked.

"I guess you could say that," Katrina said.

"If Daphne ever had the chance to do so," Harry said, "Would she be capable of threatening Draco? What I mean is... if she believed that she could use Astoria against Draco to make him do what she wished... do you think she would do it?"

Katrina looked back at her husband, then back to Harry. She nodded, tearfully. Alaric was frowning as he wrote on the piece of parchment.

"After the Second War," Katrina said, "I've had the oddest feeling about Daphne. Until now, I could never identify that feeling. Now I can, and..."

Harry noticed a tear run down Katrina's cheek.

"I'm worried, Mr. Potter," Harry said, "There is a reason our daughter belonged to the house of Slytherin. She is smart. Sharp as a tack. Alaric and I were rather surprised when Astoria was put in Slytherin. She's unlike any other Slytherin I've known."

"When Astoria was eleven," Alaric said, "She looked up to her sister. She wanted to be like her. I think that is the reason she's in Slytherin. The Sorting Hat let her make her decision, and her decision was to join her sister."

"Daphne has a lot of control over her sister at times," Katrina said, "But she is also very protective of her. She would do nothing to harm her. So yeah, Mr. Potter. She'd do anything to keep Draco from Astoria. Even if it meant trying to wrangle him into her plans. Draco's a smart boy. But Daphne... she's smarter. If she wanted to use Draco, she would only have to use her charm, and Draco wouldn't know what hit him.

"So you think there could be a chance that Daphne could be involved in something?" Harry asked.

"I'll tell you this now, Mr. Potter," Katrina said, "If Daphne is involved in something terrible, I'd find her before she did something she would regret for the rest of her life."

Harry took a glance at Ron, and recognized the expression on his face and in his eyes. It was the same look of worry, of fear, going through Harry at the moment.

"We'll try to find her before then, ma'am," Harry said, "You have my word."

Alaric handed the piece of parchment back to Harry.

"Do you have any more questions?" he asked.

"No, sir," Harry said, quietly, "Not at the moment. You may go."

Alaric nodded and took his wife's hand in his. As they walked out of the office, Harry heard Katrina sobbing.

"I don't know what you're thinking, Harry," Ron said, "But I'll tell you what I think. There is no way to deny it. Daphne's involved in this rogue group."

"She's not just involved," Harry said, taking a glance at the piece of parchment, "She's the leader."

Harry dropped the piece of parchment on the desk. The words, deep black and in large letters, read:

_UNSPEAKABLE_

The same word repeated all the way down the piece of parchment.

"I thought he was writing down names," Ron said, looking down at the parchment, then back up to Harry. "What does this mean?"

"It means, Ron," Harry said, "that Daphne not only has control of those members of this rogue group... she has control over her parents."

"So everything her parents told us just now?" Ron asked. "What was that?"

"It was her message to us," Harry said. "What was it exactly that Daphne's parents told us about her?"

"They seemed to be focused on giving us her personality," Ron said.

"Exactly," Harry said, "Nothing they told us helped us find Daphne or her friends. They told us Daphne's strengths and weaknesses."

"I couldn't really find a weakness in all of that, mate," Ron said.

"She feels sorry for her friends, Ron," Harry said, "But that is what makes her more powerful. She wants to help them get their revenge for those family members they have lost."

"Daphne hasn't lost anyone personally though, has she?" Ron asked.

"No," Harry said, "That made her the perfect leader. We were searching for people who lost loved ones. She hasn't lost anybody. She was invisible. That is until we talked to the only two people who know her that aren't under her control."

"Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy," Ron said.

"Exactly," Harry said. "It wasn't something she expected."

"So we're one up on her then," Ron said, "Brilliant."

"Not exactly, Ron," Harry said. "We know the identity of the leader of the operation. That is pretty much it."

"You're forgetting Malfoy, Harry," Ron said, "He's obviously part of it."

"Maybe, Ron," Harry said, "I'm still not sure what his role is in all of this."

"So, besides Draco and Daphne," Ron said, "We don't know anyone else who is in the group?"

Harry looked at Ron and thought for a moment who could possibly be in Daphne's group. Then, suddenly, it came to him.

"How could I have been so stupid!" he said, slapping his head. "We've had the list this whole time."

"You've lost me," Ron said.

"Her fellow Slytherins, Ron," Harry said, "Specifically the ones she was closest to. Those who she could get around her little finger without too much trouble. Those who she had known for years."

Ron looked at Harry, still confused. Then suddenly, his jaw dropped. .

"Oh, bugger," Ron said, closing his eyes.

"That's right," Harry said. "We're looking for our fellow classmates, Ron."

-  
After their big revelation that their fellow classmates may be part of the rogue group, Harry and Ron spent the first week of October going through the names of their Slytherin classmates, and doing research on any possible connections they had to Death Eaters, and if they had lost family.

Harry and Ron spent the last three weeks of October searching for those classmates, though they didn't have much luck at all. Most of the classmates had either moved out of the country or were in hiding. After their failed search, Harry deduced that many of these names were probably part of Daphne's rogue group, and that they were in hiding with Daphne. For days, Harry wondered how many names on the list he and Ron had put together were actually part of Daphne's group.

Harry also wondered how many other people Daphne had recruited, and the thought of that scared him the most, because he was at a dead end when trying to figure out who they were. He was certain Daphne had recruited more than just her closest friends. If she was planning something big, he imagined that she would want an army.

Kingsley had been extremely pleased with Harry and Ron, and how they figured out who some of the members of the rogue group may be. But Harry also knew the Minister was getting frustrated again. If Daphne had an army, and she was planning on attacking, she could do it any day. This made her even more unpredictable.

Unfortunately, by the end of October, they didn't have enough information to find Daphne or her friends in the rogue group that could lead them anywhere. They had hit a dead end.

-  
**Okay, first I want to explain the ending to this. It is different from how I originally planned it. As I was writing this chapter, and thinking of what to do next, I came up a different idea than what I had been planning to do with Draco. It would resolve quite a few things at once, but still leave the story open for the big ending I have planned.**

**I wanted to get to my plans for Draco rather quickly, so that is why I did a short description of what happened through the rest of the month of October. With what I have planned, the story will take quite a big twist over the next couple of chapters! I promise you'll love it.**

**Hope you liked this chapter. Sorry for how short it was!**


	49. Draco's Date

**Chapter 49  
Draco's Date**

**Author's Note: I was recently reminded that I have been ignoring Harry and Ginny's relationship lately. I have at least one chapter planned in the near future for them. It will come. I promise! This chapter will be in two PoV's... but the second PoV's part is extremely short, just to set up the next chapter.**

**(Draco's PoV)**

Draco was rather cheerful on Saturday morning. Soon, he would be visiting Astoria at Hogsmeade weekend. He knew Astoria was worried about him, and he needed to make her realize he was okay. Or at least give her the impression that he was. He wouldn't be able to bear it if Astoria found out what he was in the middle of. She had been oblivious to everything he was a part of.

He knew he would have to find a way to put an end to the current situation he was in. But he knew he wouldn't be able to do it all at once. It would have to be done in steps. The first step would happen that weekend, if everything went right.

Ever since he found out that the Aurors thought he was a part of the rogue group, Draco realized that he would have to do something about it, or his plans would go up in flames. Throughout all of October, he had put together different ideas on how to get his name cleared with the Auror Department.

Finally, the previous day, one day before his Hogsmeade trip, Draco had finally set his plan in motion. He knew he wouldn't be able to speak to a member of the Auror Department, and that included Potter and Weasley. But he figured he could talk to someone close to them. And... thanks to Pansy's actions a few weeks ago, he had the tool he needed to get his plans done right in his hands.

As Draco was getting ready for his trip to Hogsmeade, Pansy walked into the living room.

"Still planning on seeing Astoria?" she asked.

"Of course," Draco said, "And you're not going to stop me."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Pansy said.

"You're... not going to stop me?" Draco asked.

"You have to keep up appearances, Draco," Pansy said. "If you didn't show up for your date, Astoria might figure that something was wrong. I would hate for Astoria to get mixed up in all of this just because she worried about you."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Draco asked.

"You wouldn't think about telling her what you've been doing, would you?" Pansy asked.

"I would never let her know about this!" Draco said, "It'd kill me if she found out what I was mixed up in."

"When are you planning on being back here?" Pansy asked.

"Why do you ask?" Draco asked.

"I need to know when to expect you back," Pansy said, "so I don't end up cursing you by mistake when you walk through the front door."

"Tomorrow afternoon, sometime," Draco said.

"You're spending all night in Hogsmeade?" Pansy asked.

Draco nodded.

"With her?" Pansy asked.

Draco shrugged. He had only planned to spend that day with Astoria, and then set his plans in motion in Hogsmeade the following morning. But Pansy didn't need to know that much. Besides... he knew it would upset Pansy if he let her imagination run. Pansy only grinned.

"This might be the last time I see for a while," Draco said, "Since I have no idea how long I'll be in here."

"Not very long at all, actually," Pansy said.

"What do you mean?" Draco asked.

"Oh, that's right, I forgot to tell you," Pansy said. "Daphne wrote last night. She er... gave a hint that the plan of attack would be ready by the end of the year. So we only have to spend a couple more months here."

"End of the year?" Draco asked.

"I don't know what she's planning," Pansy said. "Sounds big."

"So we're just supposed to sit here for a couple months watching them?" Draco asked.

"Yep," Pansy said. "Have fun with Astoria."

She smirked and walked off. Draco narrowed his eyes. Two months. If he was going to find out what Pansy was doing and stop her, he was sure cutting it close. He couldn't back out of his plans now.

-  
At ten-o-clock, Draco apparated to the edge of Hogsmeade. It was rather empty, which meant the students had arrived yet. In Astoria's last letter, she requested that they would meet in the Three Broomsticks. So Draco headed for the pub and found an empty table in a secluded corner.

"Draco Malfoy," a voice said, "You are the last person I'd expect to see here this weekend."

Draco looked up. One of his former classmates was walking toward him, wearing a waitress' outfit.

"Hannah Abbot," Draco said. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm Madam Rosmerta's apprentice," Hannah said. "She's retiring in a few years and she has been looking for someone to train, in order to take over the Three Broomsticks. So I applied for the apprentice job a couple months ago. Can I get you anything?"

"A butterbeer," Draco said.

Hannah took her wand from her pocket and waved it. A butterbeer zoomed across the room and into her hand. She handed it to Draco. Draco gave her a galleon for it.

"So, what are you doing in Hogsmeade today, Draco?" Hannah asked.

"Meeting somebody," Draco said.

"Someone from the school?" Hannah asked.

"Yeah," Draco nodded.

Hannah raised an eyebrow at him, then grinned and sat down.

"Wow," she said, "Draco Malfoy has a girlfriend."

"Is that so hard to believe?" Draco asked.

"I guess not," Hannah said. "Let's see. Well if it is someone who is still in school, then it is definitely not Pansy Parkinson."

"Why would you think I was with Pansy?" Draco asked.

"Oh, please, Draco," Hannah said, "It was no secret how close the two of you were for years. She was different than your other friends. You behaved around her differently than you did with Crabbe and Goyle."

"Why are you telling me this?" Draco asked.

"You're so oblivious sometimes, Draco," Hannah said, a smirk growing across her face. "I can't believe I'm really going to say this. I fancied you, for a while, while we were in school."

"Rubbish," Draco said.

"What can I say?" Hannah said, "It was a phase. Then I got over it."

"So you dating anyone now?" Draco asked.

"Yeah," Hannah said, then blushed, "Neville Longbottom."

Draco had picked a bad time to take a sip of his butterbeer. He laughed and choked on his drink.

"Longbottom?" he asked.

"Be nice, Draco," Hannah said, "I'll have you know Neville is one of the sweetest boys I've ever met."

"You went from fancying someone like me," Draco said, "to someone like Neville?"

"You don't know what Neville did while the Carrows had control of Hogwarts," Hannah said. "You weren't there. He was very brave even though he had been through so much."

Draco was about to respond when Hogwarts students started to walk through the doors.

"Better get back to work," Hannah said, "Enjoy your date."

Draco nodded. Hannah stood up and walked away. Draco looked around for Astoria, and found her walking in through the doors. Astoria looked around for him, then grinned when she saw him. She ran over to him and put her arms around him in a hug. She kissed him on the lips, then sat down next to him.

"I was worried you wouldn't show up, Draco," she said.

"I told you I'd be here," Draco said.

"I know," Astoria said, "But, you're so mysterious in your letters. I always think there isn't something you're telling me."

"I told you," Draco said, "I'm busy with work."

"What are you doing," Astoria said, "that is making you so busy to the point you miss some of my letters?"

Draco sighed. He had known for weeks that Astoria would ask him this question, and he had been trying to figure out the answer ever since then.

"You must understand, Astoria," Draco said, "Ever since the Second War finished, the Malfoy name doesn't have the reputation it once held. My father is mostly to blame for that and I am trying to make up for it. The Malfoy wealth is now blood money. I don't want it, so I am trying to earn my own wealth. I'm trying to think of my -"

He sighed and looked into Astoria's eyes.

"I'm trying to think of our future, Astoria," he said.

"You see a future for us?" Astoria asked.

"Of course I do," Draco said, "And I don't want to have to support us in the ruined footsteps of my father."

"Oh, Draco," Astoria said, "I feel so bad. Here I thought that you had gotten yourself in some kind of trouble. I've heard – well, I've heard rumors."

Draco tried to keep his expression clear. He had a feeling he knew what these rumors were, but he was going to have to play it dumb.

"Rumors?" Draco asked. "From who?"

"Some of our fellow Slytherins," Astoria said. "I hear them, when I am working on homework. They talk about things."

"What kind of things?" Draco asked.

"Apparently there is a new threat in the wizarding world," Astoria said. "The Daily Prophet hasn't talked about it, so I don't know if it is true. But the rumors I hear around Hogwarts is that those people who used to support Voldemort are trying to regroup."

"The Death Eaters are gone, Astoria," Draco said, "They're finished."

"I'm not talking about the Death Eaters, Draco," Astoria said. "I mean the ones they left behind."

"Left behind?" Draco asked.

"Their family members, Draco," Astoria said. "It is feared that the Death Eater's family members are so... so distraught over the loss of their loved ones that they want revenge."

Astoria frowned and looked at Draco's hand in hers.

"It scares me, to be honest," she said.

"They're probably just rumors," Draco said, "Nothing to worry about. You know how most Slytherins are like. They make up stories. About the only thing they can do now that Voldemort is gone."

"I know," Astoria said, "It's just – it seems so real. Like it could really happen."

"Look at me, Astoria," Draco said.

Astoria looked up from Draco's hand to his eyes.

"It won't happen," Draco said. "Nothing like that is going to happen. I promise."

Astoria's frown slowly turned into a smile and she nodded. She put her head on Draco's shoulder.

"I missed you," she said. "The last couple of months have been so rough. There were times I wanted just to drop out and go home."

"Don't do that," Draco said, "You're smart. You deserve to finish school."

"You dropped out, though," Astoria said.

"I came back, Astoria," Draco said. "You should consider yourself lucky I decided to go back. Do you honestly think we'd be together if I hadn't?"

"No," Astoria said, "You probably wouldn't have ever thought of talking to me if we had met up together outside of Hogwarts. We're together now because we needed each other back then."

"Exactly," Draco said.

Astoria smiled and kissed Draco briefly again.

"It's too crowded in here," she said, "Let's go walk around."

"I'm not done with my drink," Draco said.

"Take it with you," Astoria said, grinning.

She stood up and pulled Draco up. Over the next few hours, they visited many of the shops. They ended up taking a walk and before Draco knew it, they were at the Shrieking Shack.

"I thought you hated this place," Draco said.

"Not anymore," Astoria said, "In fact, the thought of being here is rather romantic."

"Romantic?" Draco asked. "This place?"

"Mmhmm," Astoria said, a flirty grin forming across her lips. "Very private."

"Of course it is private," Draco said, "Nobody ever goes out here."

"Exactly," Astoria said.

Astoria grinned and started walking toward the shack.

"What are you doing?" Draco asked.

"Going on," Astoria said.

"We can't get in this way," Draco said, "The door is barricaded."

Astoria took her wand from her pocket and pointed it at the door. A spell erupted from her wand and hit the door. The five boards barricading the door fell to the ground, and the door opened.

"Not anymore," Astoria said, grinning, "Coming?"

Draco walked forward slowly and followed Astoria inside. He had never been inside the Shrieking Shack before, but he knew the history of the place. As he looked around, he realized something. This place would be the perfect location to go through with his plan the following day. As Astoria said, it was private... which meant nobody would hear the conversation he wanted with his target.

"What's wrong, Draco?" Astoria teased, "Scared?"

Draco snapped out of his thoughts and realized he was only standing in the doorway.

"I'm not a big fan of this place," Draco said. "Someone I looked up to died here."

"Snape?" Astoria asked.

"Yeah," Draco said.

"Oh, Draco," Astoria said. "I should have realized... I'm sorry. We can leave if you wish."

Draco looked around and then nodded. Astoria took Draco's hand and they walked back out. When they walked back into town. They had a late lunch at the Three Broomsticks, and stayed there talking until Astoria had to go back to Hogwarts. Draco walked with her back up to the carriages.

"When is your next Hogsmeade weekend?" Draco asked her, beside one of the carriages.

"Not until after I get back from Christmas break," Astoria said.

"So I guess I'll see you on Christmas Break," Draco said.

"Will you pick me up at King's Cross?" Astoria asked.

"If I'm not busy," Draco said.

Astoria pouted.

"I'll see you on your Christmas Break," Draco said, "I promise."

"Okay," Astoria said.

She leaned into Draco and kissed him.

"I love you, Draco," she said.

"I love you too," he said, "don't miss me too much."

"I'll try," Astoria said.

She kissed him again and stepped into the carriage. She waved at Draco, as the carriages started to leave. Draco waved back and headed back toward Hogsmeade. Draco rented a room at the Hog's Head. There he would stay the night and wait until the next morning where he could put together his plan. He just hoped it would work.

**(Hermione's PoV)**

On Halloween morning, Hermione was in the kitchen, preparing breakfast, when an owl landed on the windowsill in front of her. She opened the window and the owl flew in, then dropped something on the table, and flew back out. At first, Hermione thought it was the new edition of the Daily Prophet, because it was bigger than a piece of parchment. But when she walked over to it, she realized it was a large brown envelope.

She sliced the top open with her wand and what she took out made her gasp. It was a picture of her and her parents that had been taken back when she was twelve years old. Who had sent this to her?

She turned the picture around, and almost dropped it in horror. On the back of the parchment, in rather large letters were the words:

_If you want to see them again, come to the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade immediately. Come alone or you will regret it._

-  
**This was rather short, but I wanted it just to have a little moment between Draco and Astoria. Most of this chapter was just the set-up for the big chapter coming up next! A big revelation is coming... and then it gets real exciting then... and rather dangerous for the main characters!**


	50. Revelation

**Chapter 50  
Revelation**

**(Hermione's PoV)**

Tears swam in Hermione's eyes as she read the note once again.

"Morning, Hermione!" Ron's voice called from the living room, "Heard an owl hoot. Was that the Daily Prophet?"

Hermione gasped and quickly stuffed the photo into her back pocket. She wiped the tears from her eyes just as Ron walked in.

"What's that?" Ron asked, nodding to the envelope.

"Er..." Hermione said, trying to think of what to say.

Ron walked over to the envelope and looked at it.

"It's empty," Ron said.

"Yeah, it had a letter from work," Hermione said, thinking quickly, "I need to go in now briefly. Brady wanted me to check something for our next case."

"On a weekend?" Ron asked, raising his eyebrows, "On a holiday?"

Hermione kicked herself mentally. How could she be so stupid to come up with that?

"Yeah," she said, "I'll be quick. It won't take too long. I promise."

Hermione kissed Ron's cheek, and tried to hold tears back in her eyes. She couldn't help thinking there was a chance she'd never see him again.

"Breakfast is done," Hermione said, "I'll eat something when I get back."

"Oh... okay," Ron said, "Hurry back. Love you."

Hermione nodded, trying to keep the tears from coming just yet.

"I love you too, Ron," she said.

She walked out of the kitchen, and headed out the door. A sob escaped her lips, along with a gasp of air, as she apparated to Hogsmeade. Hermione hurried toward the Shrieking Shack. As she did, a million thoughts went through her head.

Who had sent the letter? Was it a member of the rogue group? Why did they kidnap her parents? If they were targeting her, why didn't they come after her instead of her parents? Her parents were no threat to wizards.

"Coward," Hermione muttered.

She arrived at the Shrieking Shack, and saw that the front door was no longer barricaded. She pulled her wand from her pocket and held it at her side, concealed, but easy to use at any moment.

She had only one thing in mind. She would go into the Shrieking Shack and rescue her parents. She would tell them to run and she'd stay back and defend them. Even if she was killed in the process.

Hermione walked to the front door. She inhaled, and the musty and rotten smells of decaying wood filled her nostrils. She closed her eyes for a moment, envisioning Ron in her mind, laughing and kissing her.

"I love you, Ron," she whispered, "Forgive me for not telling you about this."

She opened her eyes and then pushed the door open, her wand out in front of her.

"Very good, Granger," a very familiar voice said, "I wondered if you would come at all."

"Expelliarmus!" Hermione yelled, turning toward the sound of the voice.

"Nice try," the voice said, "But useless. I am not holding my wand. You are not in danger."

Out of the shadows walked Draco Malfoy.

"Where are they?" Hermione asked, "Where are my parents?"

Draco shook his head and chuckled.

"At their house, I guess," he said, shrugging, "I never touched them. If you would have gone to their house first to check up on them, you would have seen that. Fortunately, you did just as I hoped you would do. You came here first because you thought they really were in danger."

Hermione's eyes widened and she suddenly wondered why she hadn't checked her parents' house first.

"They're not here," she said, a sense of relief washing over her.

"No," Draco said, "They are not."

Hermione narrowed her eyes.

"Why did you do this?" she asked, "Why did you make me come here?"

"I need your help," Draco said.

"Why would I help you, Draco?" Hermione asked, "To be honest, I could kill you right now for what you did."

"You know you can trust me," Draco said.

"I thought you had my parents!" Hermione said, "And now you expect me to trust you?"

"Just listen to me," Draco said, "And you will understand."

"Why should I?" Hermione asked.

"Hermione, get over yourself for a minute," Draco said, "If you listen to me, you'd be doing yourself a favor."

"I doubt it," Hermione said.

"What do you have to lose?" Draco asked. "If you still want to kill me after I am done talking, I'll let you do it. Because unless I can get your help, I'm probably dead anyway."

"Start talking," Hermione said, "Or I will kill you."  
**  
**"Your fiancee, Weasley," Draco said, "He's an Auror, right?"

"Why do you want to know?" Hermione asked.

"Is he or isn't he?" Draco asked.

"Yes," Hermione said.

"And Potter?" Draco asked.

"Yeah," Hermione said, "Draco, why -"

"Ron must tell you things he hears at the Ministry," Draco said. "Am I one of the people thought to be in the rogue group of wizards?"

"Ron can't tell me anything about his work," Hermione said, "It is confidential."

"Hermione, we both know Ron can't always keep a secret," Draco said, "He must have mentioned something about me once or twice."

"He – he thinks you were going to go after his mother," Hermione said. "Because she killed Bellatrix."

"I have nothing against Ron's mother, Hermione," Draco said.

"Why should I believe you?" Hermione asked, "You've never had a good thing to say about Molly Weasley. You've even insulted her in the past."

Draco sighed and put his arms up.

"Can you just kill me now then?" Draco asked. "Because obviously I'm not going to get any help from you. I'm dead either way."

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Hermione asked, "Why are you asking me these questions? Are you a part of this rogue group?"

Draco put his hands down.

"Not exactly," he said.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked.

"They think I'm part of their group," Draco said.

"What do you mean, they 'think'?" Hermione asked.

"How can I explain it better to you, Granger?" Draco asked, annoyed, "Would you like me to write a book? Maybe you can understand it better then. Listen to me. I'm spying on the rogue group. I'm not a member of it."

"Spying?" Hermione said, then scoffed. "Right."

Draco sighed and put his arms up again. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Fine," she said, "how long has this being going on?"

"A couple of months," Draco said.

"A couple of months?" Hermione echoed, "The Ministry has been looking for the rogue wizards for months now, and the whole time you were sitting on this information?"

"You don't understand," Draco said, "I can't reveal who they are just yet."

"Why not?" Hermione asked.

"Because," Draco said. He sighed and looked rather flustered. "Because of Astoria!"

"Your girlfriend?" Hermione asked.

"Her sister, Daphne, she's the leader of this," Draco said. "The only reason I am in this group is because Daphne threatened me. She hates that I am with Astoria. She'd do anything to stop me from being with her. I've made some mistakes recently, and if Astoria finds out, I'm going to lose her. I can't lose her, Hermione."

Hermione stared at Draco. She had never seen him like this. She never thought she'd see that expression on the face of Draco Malfoy.

"You love her," she said.

"Is that so surprising?" Draco asked. "Yes. Draco Malfoy, the school bully. In love."

"You still haven't told me why I'm here," Hermione said.

"I need you to get me off the Ministry's trail," Draco said. "If they continue to search for me, I'm not going to be able to finish what I started."

"What do you mean 'finish what you started'?" Hermione asked.

"Don't you understand?" Draco asked, his voice raising into a higher pitch, "I put myself in the middle of this, and I want to fix it. I want to do it. Not the Ministry!"

"Draco," Hermione said, "It is the Ministry's job to finish this, not yours."

"You don't understand!" Draco said.

"Then help me to," Hermione said.

"I want Daphne to pay for threatening me," Draco said. "For threatening my relationship with Astoria. I want to make her pay, and I want her to know that it is me who is going to stop her. But I can't stop her until I know what she has planned."

"So you're allowing for Daphne and her group to set up an attack?" Hermione asked. "You could harm innocent people, Draco! How could you do that?"

"I know what I am doing," Draco said. "Look... even if I wanted to tell you who was in Daphne's group, and where they were at this moment in time, I couldn't."

"She's got you under the Secret Keeper Charm?" Hermione asked.

"It is bigger than that," Draco said, "It keeps the secret around the whole group."

"But that doesn't make sense," Hermione said, "You've been telling me stuff about the group this whole time we've been here."

"Because I am fighting it!" Draco said, "But only just. That tells you I'm innocent in all of this. You have to believe me."

"Why did you tell me this?" Hermione asked. "Why did you have to threaten my family just to talk to me? Why didn't you tell Ron or Harry?"

"If Ron and Harry have done their job," Draco said, "They already know most of what I told you. If they talked to my parents, then my parents would have told them about Astoria, which would have led them to the Greengrass family. Astoria's parents would have said something about Daphne, and that would have led Harry and Ron in the right direction. Make Ron believe that you think he is in the right direction with all of this, because he is."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Hermione asked.

"You know him a lot better than I do, Hermione," Draco said. "I think you'll know that answer."

"I don't know what you expect me to say," Hermione said. "I'm not lying to them either, if they ask me what you and I talked about."

"You don't have to," Draco said, "I'm sure he'll know all of this already. I just want you to tell your mates they are on the right track. But you must tell them to leave me alone. Get the Ministry off my scent."

"Why should I do that?" Hermione asked.

"If Daphne finds out what I am doing," Draco said, "She's going to end up doing something we're all going to regret. The Ministry... they don't know what she's planning. Neither do I, but tell me this, Granger. Who do you think is going to find out what Daphne is doing first? Me or the Ministry?."

Hermione sighed and Draco grinned.

"You're not exactly what I would call a good investigator, Malfoy," Hermione said. "I think I recall hearing that the last time you tried to investigate something, you ended up in the same situation your parents were in: prisoners of the Death Eaters."

"This is different!" Draco said, "I've already found out some stuff. I just found out today that whatever Daphne is planning will happen by the end of the year. I don't know what she's planning yet, but I'll find out. But I can only do that if you help me – if you give me enough time!"

"Okay, I'll help you," Hermione said. "But you're lucky I'm doing this. I could seriously hurt you for threatening my parents."

"If I threatened your parents," Draco said, "Wouldn't they be here?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes, but she didn't say anything.

"Exactly," he said.

Draco walked back toward the entrance of the Shrieking Shack.

"Malfoy," Hermione said, looking at him.

Draco turned back to her.

"How did you get this?" Hermione asked, raising up the picture of her and her parents.

"I think you already know that answer, Granger," Draco said. "By the way... congratulations on your engagement."

Draco walked out of the Shack. Before Hermione could run after him, she heard a resounding crack. Several thoughts were going through her mind. She wasn't aware Draco knew of her engagement to Ron. She certainly hadn't told him. How did he find out?

She left the Shrieking Shack and was about to apparate to her parents' house, when she realized she had no real reason to see them. They didn't know anything was wrong.

She then had a sudden idea and walked into Hogsmeade. She walked over to Honeydukes and bought a large basket of candy that was sugarless and safe for her parents. She then apparated to the park near her parents' house and headed there. When she arrived, she knocked on the door. A minute later, her mother opened it.

Hermione sighed in relief. Her mother was safe and sound.

"Hermione!" Helen said.

"Hey, Mum," Hermione said, "Thought I'd bring over some Halloween candy for you and Daddy."

"Come in then!" Helen said.

Hermione smiled and walked through the door.

"This is a switch!" Helen said, "Don't we usually give you candy."

"Yeah," Hermione said, grinning, "Thought I'd give you some this year. It is wizarding candy. No sugar candies, of course."

"Wonderful!" Helen said.

Helen lead her into the living room. Richard was watching a Halloween parade on the telly.

"Hermione's here," Helen said, "She brought over some candy for us."

"How thoughtful!" Richard said, "I'm just watching the traditional parade. Remember when we took you to the parade when you were little, Hermione? Might have a picture of it somewhere. Aha! Over there, near the mirror."

Hermione smiled as she noticed the picture. Then she saw another one near it. It was a copy of the photo Draco had stolen. Relief washed through Hermione. So Draco hadn't been in her parents' house. That only meant there was one place he could have gotten the photo from. She had to get to that photo book.

"Just thought I'd drop off the candy," Hermione said, "I need to get going quickly. Ron's planning on doing something for Halloween for us. He loves this day."

"Well, hold up, one minute," Helen said, "I'll be right back with your candy."

Hermione smiled and nodded. Her mother left the room.

"I can't believe how much the parade has changed in ten years," Richard said, "It used to be that there were just floats and balloons and scary monsters and stuff like that. Now it is all filled with music stars in bad make-up. I suppose that is their Halloween costume?"

"Not if they always wear it, Dad," Hermione said, grinning.

"Right," Richard said.

Hermione walked over to her father and put an arm around him, hugging him.

"Well, thank you, sweetheart," Richard said, "I don't know what that was for though..

"Just happy to see you," Hermione said.

"Well, I'm happy to see you too," Richard said.

"Here we go," Helen said.

Hermione walked over to her mother and took the candy from her. She then hugged her.

"I love you, Mum," Hermione said.

"It is just candy, Hermione," Helen said, laughing.

"Right... thanks," Hermione said, "I better get going. I'll see you soon."

"Give Ron our Halloween wishes," Helen said, "And remember..."

"Don't eat it all in one night," Hermione said, "I know."

"Sugarless candies can still give you cavities," Helen said.

"I know, Mum," Hermione said, "Thanks."

"Thanks for your gift too," Helen said, then looked down at the basket Hermione had given her, "I'm sure we'll enjoy this stuff... once we can figure out what it is. It... er... isn't dangerous, is it?"

"No, Mum," Hermione said, "I wouldn't dream of buying you the dangerous stuff."

Helen raised her eyebrows and laughed. Hermione grinned and hugged her mother once again, then left the house. She looked around for anyone watching, then when it was clear, she apparated back to her house. When she walked in, Ron was sitting on the couch.

"Back already?" Ron asked.

"Yeah," Hermione said.

"Candy?" he asked, looking at the basket.

"Oh... yeah," Hermione said, "Took a detour to my parents' house. Have at it."

Hermione gave Ron the basket of candy, then picked up the photo album. She searched through it, looking for a blank page. What she found, she did not expect. There was still a copy of the same photo in the album. Hermione raised her eyebrows and took it out of the album. Suddenly, a few seconds after she touched it, it vanished.

"What the bloody hell?" Ron, who had been watching her the whole time, asked.

"There is only one reason it would do that," Hermione said. "It was a copy, made by the Geminio charm."

"A copy?" Ron asked. "But... where is the real one then?"

Hermione closed her eyes. She took the photo out of her pocket and handed it to Ron.

"Here," she said.

"Why did you have it?" Ron asked.

"Turn it over," Hermione said.

Ron did so, and his eyes widened as he looked at the note.

"Hermione," Ron said, "What is this? Your parents -"

"They're safe," Hermione said.

"What is this?" Ron asked.

"Brady did not contact me this morning, Ron," Hermione said, "Draco Malfoy did."

"Draco?" Ron asked.

Hermione nodded. Ron's expression went from confusion to anger in seconds.

"He's not going to get away this," Ron growled, standing up, "I will kill that son of a -"

"Listen to me, Ron," Hermione said.

"You could have been hurt, Hermione!" Ron said, loudly.

"Yes, but I wasn't, okay?" Hermione said, taking Ron's hand in hers. "Look at me. I'm fine. My parents are fine. Nothing's wrong. But I need you to listen to me."

Ron looked at Hermione's hand. He calmed down instantly and sat back down.

"Draco did all of this in order to talk to me," Hermione said.

"Why?" Ron said. "What did he have to say to you, that he couldn't say to me?"

Hermione told him exactly what Draco had told her.

"A spy?" Ron asked, when Hermione was finished, "You mean he is on the inside?"

"He's not with the rogue group," Hermione said. "He is there trying to find out what is going on."

"You honestly believe we can trust Malfoy?" Ron asked.

"He was willing to let me kill him if I didn't trust him," Hermione said.

"You should have done it," Ron said. "he'd have deserved it."

"Ronald!" Hermione said, shocked.

"Fine," Ron said, "We'll trust him for now. I don't know how it will help though. He and Daphne Greengrass are Public Enemy Numbers One and Two right now. It wouldn't be easy trying to get the Ministry off his trail."

"What will you do?" Hermione asked.

"I'll talk to Harry about it," Ron said. "What else did Draco say? Anything?"

"Nothing," Hermione said. "Wait! Yes he did. He... he congratulated us on our engagement."

"That's nice of him," Ron scoffed.

"Yes, Ron," Hermione said, "But how did he know? We didn't tell him, did we?"

"Why would I want to tell Malfoy?" Ron asked.

"Exactly," Hermione said. "And I don't think anyone else we've told would have given him that information."

Hermione sighed and looked at the picture. The answers suddenly came to her mind.

"Oh, no," she cried, "Of course! How could I be so stupid!"

"What?" Ron asked.

"The picture, Ron," Hermione said, "The picture in the photo album, it was a copy. Which means this picture is the real one... which means..."

"Draco was inside our house," Ron growled.

Hermione took her wand from her pocket and pointed it in the air.

"Revelio!" she said.

Hermione's eyes widened as three balls of blue light started to come out of her wand. One of them headed for the fireplace, and all of a sudden, something appeared on the edge of the fireplace, and zoomed over to Hermione.

"What the bloody hell?" Ron asked.

"It is a mirror," Hermione said.

"A mirror?" Ron asked. "You mean... like the one Harry had?"

"Exactly," Hermione said, "But this is a one-way mirror. Someone has been spying on us."

"Draco, you think?" Ron asked.

"If we're lucky," Hermione said. "It could have been someone else."

"I was afraid something like this could happen," Ron said.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry," Ron said, "I've put you in danger. I didn't believe it would happen, and it has happened!"

"Ron, you're scaring me," Hermione said, "Tell me what is going on."

"I promise I'll tell you," Ron said, "But first we have to get out of her. Stand up."

Ron stood up, and without asking any further questions, Hermione did as well. Ron took Hermione's hand and he closed his eyes. She immediately recognized the signs of Side-Along Apparation and readied herself as the air left her lungs. Everything went black for a moment, and then she felt the breath come back into her again. Hermione opened her eyes. She and Ron were standing on the road in front of the Burrow. Ron ran forward, and Hermione ran with him. A couple minutes later, they were in front of the Burrow. Mr. Weasley was walking up to them. He looked panicked and Hermione knew Mr. Weasley had seen the fear in his son's face.

"Ron! Hermione!" Mr. Weasley said, "What's wrong?"

"Dad," Ron said, "Do you remember what you talked to me about before Hermione and I moved into our new house."

Mr. Weasley's eyes widened in fear.

"Get inside," he said, "We'll talk about it in there."

"What's going on?" Hermione asked, as Ron dragged her forward toward the house.

"Hermione," Ron said. "I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

"What are you talking about, Ron?" Hermione asked.

"I should have never asked you to move in with me," Ron said, "I put you in serious danger."

-  
**Cliffhanger! What is Ron talking about? You'll find out next chapter! **

**I wrote this really quickly. Had it all in my mind, and it just came out into words. Hope this gave you some answers you wanted! **


	51. The Weasley Family Secret

**Chapter 51  
The Weasley Family Secret**

**Author's Note: None of the story the Weasleys will tell Hermione is canon, and it is all from my head. Everything having to do with their story, throughout his whole chapter, is just a theory I've created, and is just something I've thought for the sake of the story. Hope you like it anyway!**

**(Hermione's PoV)**

It had been nearly an hour since Ron and dragged Hermione into the Burrow. Since then, Ron and Hermione had given a quick explanation to Mr. Weasley about what had happened. They told him nothing about Draco, and felt that information was only for Harry's ears at the moment. When they had figured out that someone, other than Draco, had possibly been in their house, Hermione instantly became worried about her parents safety again. She told Mr. Weasley this, and he had promised her that he would take care of it.

Ever since Mr. Weasley left, Ron had been completely silent. Hermione was now sitting at the kitchen table with Ron. Ron's hand was tightly holding onto Hermione's, as it had been doing for the past hour. His eyes darted back and forth on occasion. He would look at Hermione one moment, then look away from her for a while, and get a nervous look in his eyes that he used to have when he couldn't think of an answer on his homework. This scared Hermione the most. It was as if Ron thought Hermione was going to disappear, unwillingly from his sight, at any moment.

"R-Ron?" Hermione asked, "What is going on?"

"Arthur will explain everything when he comes back from checking on your house, and your parents, Hermione," Mrs. Weasley said, as she fixed a pot of tea on the stove.

"I want to be the one to explain it, Mum," Ron said, "I owe that to Hermione."

"Well, we will still wait for your father," Mrs. Weasley said, "If there are any holes in your story, he will be able to mend them."

Ron sighed and squeezed Hermione's hand. He looked at Hermione, and looked as if he wanted to say something to her. Then he looked away again.

Dozens of thoughts were swimming through Hermione's head, and over half were questions she couldn't ask:

What was Ron wanting to tell her? Why did Mrs. Weasley demand that Ron's father be a part of it? Why was Ron so worried about her? Why did he say it was a mistake for them to live together?

Hermione wondered what Ron must be thinking at this moment. Did he regret the wonderful few months that they spent together in that house before any of this happened? Because Hermione didn't. She was happy living with Ron, no matter what had happened. But at the moment, she wasn't sure if Ron felt the same way.

Hermione's thoughts were broken by what sounded like a cracking whip. A couple minutes later, Mr. Weasley walked back through the door.

"Okay," Mr. Weasley said, "I have some good news and bad news. Good news, first. Hermione, your parents are now safe from harm in the capable watch of our friends, Hestia Jones and Dedalus Diggle. At your request, your parents know nothing of what is going on, including the fact that they are being watched. I would trust Hestia and Dedalus with my own life, so you have nothing to fear."

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley," Hermione said.

"What's the bad news?" Ron asked.

"Well, you were right, Ron," Mr. Weasley said, "Someone has definitely been in your house without your permission."

"How could you tell, Arthur?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"There were quite a few tell-tale signs, surprisingly," Mr. Weasley said. "Whoever broke in did not care to be cautious. For starters, your door has recently been knocked down and hastily repaired, as recent as one month ago, give or take a few days?"

"You know how long it has been?" Hermione asked.

"Door hinges can tell a person a lot of things, Hermione," Mr. Weasley, "if only one knows how to listen to them."

Hermione looked at Ron and raised her eyebrows.

"Translation," Ron said, "Dad's very good at figuring out how things work."

"The blasted airplane is the one thing that has escaped me to this day!" Mr. Weasley said.

"Arthur," Mrs. Weasley said, in a tone she usually used around her children when they were in trouble.

"Right," Mr. Weasley said, "Sorry, dear. Anyway, The other tell-tale sign..."

He dug into his pockets and a moment later set two mirrors onto the table.

"One of them was stuck under your kitchen table," Mr. Weasley said, "And the other was inside the closet of your bedroom."

"They've been spying on our bedroom?" Ron asked, "But that means they heard -"

Hermione stepped on Ron's foot just as Mrs. Weasley looked around at Ron.

"I'm sure they weren't interested in what you said when you talked in your sleep, Ron," Hermione said.

Ron blushed, He must have realized that he had almost said something his mother didn't need to hear.

"There were some serious charms placed on these mirrors," Mr. Weasley said, "But I have lifted them."

"What kind of charms?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"A series of eavesdropping charms," Mr. Weasley said, "Well-placed and long-lasting."

"Long-lasting?" Hermione asked. "Just how long have these been in our house?"

"At least a month," Mr. Weasley said.

"Bugger!" Ron said.

"Ronald Billius Weasley," Mrs. Weasley warned, "Watch your tongue!"

"I'm sorry, Mum," Ron said, "But you don't understand. I've been an Auror for one month now. They could have listened in on anything I said about the rogue group of wizards."

"We didn't talk about the rogue group," Hermione said, "You kept that discussion at work."

"I brought work home with me sometimes," Ron said. "Before you'd get home, Harry and I would continue our work at the house so we could try to figure out what was going on. Which means whoever was listening in on us heard everything that we discussed. The whole mission has been compromised."

"We'll worry about that later," Mr. Weasley said, "I believe we owe someone an explanation."

Mrs. Weasley poured the tea into four cups and set them in front of everyone, including herself. Ron took a deep sip of his tea, as did Hermione. The tea was warm and delicious, and it calmed Hermione down a great deal. Ron cleared his throat and looked at Hermione.

"What you are about to hear, Hermione," he said, "is a tale that nobody but those with the name of Weasley know. I was going to wait to tell you this until after we were married, as is, and always has been, tradition in our family. But I think you deserve to hear this now. Given the circumstances, I think my parents would agree."

Ron looked at his parents, who nodded and smiled encouragingly. He looked back at Hermione.

"Over the years," he continued, "I'm sure you've asked yourself many questions about my family. For example... you were at the two most recent Weasley weddings. Have you ever wondered why my family is so big?"

"I just thought your family really loved kids," Hermione said, grinning.

"Well, she is technically right about that one, Ron," Mrs. Weasley said.

"The Weasleys are one of the oldest families in the wizarding world," Ron continued. "We've been around for many generations. Nobody really knows how long, but we're sure somewhere down the line one of my ancestors were close personal friends with Godric Gryffindor."

Hermione's eyes widened. Godric Gryffindor lived thousands of years ago.

"I like to think that is one of the reasons most of us have been in the Gryffindor house," Mr. Weasley said, "We're all purebloods, the lot of us. Salazar Slytherin is the one who set his pride in purebloods, and many before you have asked why none of us were ever considered for his house. We think Godric Gryffindor put a little magic in our ancestors. Though that isn't the only magic in our blood."

"The Weasley family," Ron said, "has lasted this long for one reason, and one reason only. A magical bond passed through generations, from one Weasley to the next. Whenever one of them would marry, one or two of their family members, usually the parents of the Weasley child, would bond their magic into that person and their spouse. This would promise that their children would carry the bond."

"What is the bond?" Hermione asked.

"It is simple," Ron said, "Protection. The bond of love."

"I should have guessed that," Hermione said.

"It does seem rather obvious when you think about it, doesn't it?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Unfortunately, like all magic,"" Ron said, "The bond has limits. That's where I need help with this, Dad. I don't think I could really put it into words as well as you can."

"Well," Mr. Weasley said, to Hermione, "I'll use Ron's earlier example of Weasley weddings. Most of the guests at both Bill and George's weddings were Weasley family members, but not all of them. I invite you now, Hermione, if you will, to look back on the day of Bill and Fleur's wedding. The day the Death Eaters attacked. The magic of our family bond, or in other words, our wards, were broken easily by the Death Eaters. Why? Because of how many guests there were at the wedding who were not a member of the Weasley family. Their presence counteracted the magic of the wards, and let the Death Eaters in."

"You may have wondered, Hermione," Ron said, "why Mum was against the thought of her children moving in with someone before they were married to them. She wasn't only worried about the sake of her own children. She was also worried about who they'd move in with."

"You can't blame that all on the wards, Ronald," Mrs. Weasley said, "That is just my motherly instincts."

"She has a point," Hermione said.

"Anyway," Ron said, looking back at Hermione, "There is a reason why Mum and Dad put a great deal of thought into it when I told them I wanted to move in to a new house with you, Hermione. And now I completely understand as well. You see, no matter how much I love you, Hermione... the wards aren't strong enough to act if only one member of the household has the bond. Because of that, I've put you in terrible danger. As we've discovered today, our house is vulnerable to intruders."

"We didn't know that would happen, Ron," Hermione said.

"There was a high chance for it," Ron said.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked.

"Ah," Mr. Weasley said, "I believe Ron is referring to the other downside to the bond in our bloodline. You see, Hermione. Our bond of protection is not just a gift, it also our curse."

"A curse?" Hermione asked.

"Given that your parents are Muggles, Hermione," Mr. Weasley said, "I'm sure you've heard of the very popular Muggle notion known as the Chaos Theory?"

"Yes," Hermione said, "It means that if something can happen, then it usually will."

"The curse portion of our bond is similar to the Chaos Theory," Mr. Weasley said. "It is believed that if our protective bonds are cut off by the counteractions I mentioned earlier, the curse has a chance of coming in effect. And it has a very good chance that the curse will take effect."

"But that doesn't necessarily mean it will happen, Mr. Weasley," Hermione said.

"Ah, but it does, Hermione," Mr. Weasley said, frowning. "A curse is very powerful if it has lasted so long."

"What my Dad is trying to explain for me," Ron said, "is that I was playing a game of chance I thought I could win. I thought the curse would stay away long enough until we were married. I thought we'd be safe for that long. I was wrong, and I am so sorry."

"Ron, I'm okay," Hermione said, "I'm in no danger now."

"Our house isn't safe, Hermione," Ron said, "We can't live there anymore."

A sudden grin crossed Mrs. Weasley's face.

"Mum?" Ron asked.

"All you have to do is ask, Ron," Mrs. Weasley said.

"You want me and Hermione to move back in, don't you?" Ron asked.

"Hermione would be safer here," Mr. Weasley said, "Our wards are certainly strong enough here, there is no doubt about that."

Ron laughed.

"Most definitely," he said, looking up at the ceiling.

"I seem to have missed the joke," Hermione said.

"Years ago, when you first saw this house," Ron said, "What was your first thought about it?"

"You know I think this place is amazing, Ron," Hermione said.

"I didn't mean that, Hermione," Ron said, "Everyone who visits this house for the first time has the very same thought."

Hermione raised her eyebrows, then she realized what he meant.

"I was wondering how it could be standing," Hermione said, "and why it defied the laws of physics."

"That would be another advantage for our wards," Mr. Weasley said. "This house has always been filled with Weasleys. We built onto it when another member of our family was born, because we knew it would only strengthen the house more."

"Unfortunately, Dad isn't as good at building houses," Ron said, "As he is at figuring out how objects work."

"Huh?" Hermione asked, clueless.

"What my son is trying to say, Hermione," Mrs. Weasley said, "Without the bond surrounding us, this house would topple right down on top of us."

"That is how you know your wards are strong enough," Hermione said.

"Precisely," Mr. Weasley said.

"So?" Mrs. Weasley asked, "Do I have two more house-guests to feed again?"

Ron glanced at Hermione out of the corner of his eye. She nodded to him.

"We'd love to move back in, Mum," Ron said. "At least until after our wedding."

"Brilliant," Mr. Weasley said. "If you wish, we could go back to your house now and start moving stuff back in here."

"Er... can it wait, Dad?" Ron asked. "It's just... I have something I need to talk to Harry about."

"I should have realized you would want to tell him about this," Mr. Weasley said, "Of course."

"I'll write a letter now," Ron said, "I'll invite him by Floo Powder, and with Frederique's speed, he'll be here within an hour."

"Well, then," Mrs. Weasley said, standing up, "How about I fix an early lunch while we wait."

Mrs. Weasley gave Ron a quill and a piece of parchment, and Ron started to write.

"I'm not hungry right now, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said, "I think I'm going to take a short nap while we wait for Harry."

"Hermione, you didn't eat breakfast," Ron said, looking up at her, "You need to eat something."

"I'll be fine, Ron," Hermione said.

"Hermione's been through a lot this morning, Ron," Mr. Weasley said, "I think she's right."

"Ginny's room is free if you want to rest there, Hermione," Mrs. Weasley said.

"I'll just lay down on the couch for now, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said, "Wake me up when Harry arrives, will you?"

Ron looked at Hermione, and she could tell he was worried about her. She gave him a reassuring smile. She kissed his cheek, then walked into the living room, and sat down on the couch.

She laid her head down on one of the small pillows and stared up at the ceiling. She had learned about protective enchantments like wards when she was at Hogwarts, but she had never heard of the kind that Ron and his parents were talking about. She would have never expected that Ron's family had such a rich history. As she tried to fall asleep, she smiled to herself. In a few months, she would be, through marriage, a member of one of the most interesting families in the wizarding world.

A little over an hour later, Hermione was woken a nudge on her shoulder. She opened her eyes, and saw a blurry outline of someone with long red hair. At first she thought it was Mrs. Weasley, but the hair was too straight.

"Ginny?" Hermione asked.

"Hi, Hermione," Ginny said.

Hermione yawned and sat up. Ginny sat next to her.

"Where is Harry?" Hermione asked.

"He's talking to Ron," Ginny said, "Ron said it was confidential, so I couldn't listen in. Anyway, Mum tells me you've been through quite a lot today. She also tells me you are now aware of my family's history."

"Yeah," Hermione said, "Ginny, I had no idea. I've never even heard about something like this before. And I've read quite a few books."

"There aren't very many families in the wizarding world with the gift my family has," Ginny said.

"There is something that was bothering me as Ron and your parents were telling me all of this," Hermione said, "Only I – I didn't feel it was appropriate to ask your parents."

"Ask away," Ginny said, "I might be able to answer it."

"If this bond is one of protection," Hermione said, "Why didn't it protect Fred?"

Ginny looked down at the coffee table in front of them. Hermione found what she was looking at: a picture of Ron, Ginny, their brothers and mother and father, taken back when Fred was alive. Fred was waving and grinning at them.

"Our wards can't help us escape death, Hermione," she said, quietly.

Tears swam in Hermione's eyes.

"I was really hoping it wasn't as simple as that," she said.

"Some things are just that simple, Hermione," Ginny said.

"So," Hermione said. "now that you know this curse has come into effect with Ron, what does that mean for you?"

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Hermione asked, "It could happen to you and Harry."

"There is no risk for Harry and I," Ginny said.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, then opened her mouth in shock, "Did you two get married without anyone else knowing?"

"Of course not!" Ginny said, "I-"

Ginny stared at Hermione, and a sudden look of realization came across her face.

"You mean my parents didn't tell you?" Ginny asked.

"Didn't tell me what?" Hermione asked.

"Figures," Hermione said, "They didn't tell Ron either."

"What are you talking about, Ginny?" Hermione asked.

"Now that you know about powerful wards like the one over my family," Ginny said, "Have you heard anything similar to something like it happening?"

"Er... no, of course not," Hermione said.

"Yes, you have," Ginny said, "Except you might not have made the connection. Understandable. Something like this doesn't happen every day."

"Something like what, Ginny?" Hermione asked.

"My father has a theory, Hermione," Ginny said. "For years he was trying to figure out how this family bond we hold was first created. Then he figured it out. Dad only explained this to me the day I told him and Mum I wanted to move in with Harry."

"He told you what, Ginny?" Hermione asked.

"Well, of course you know the first part of my father's theory," Ginny said, "The night Voldemort first fell, Harry's mother sacrificed herself for Harry."

"Everyone knows that story," Hermione said.

"Do you know how she sacrificed herself, though?" Ginny asked.

"Sure," Hermione said, "She -"

Hermione's eyes widened as a sudden thought came to her mind. She looked over her shoulder toward the kitchen. She could see Harry talking to Ron rather animatedly. No... it was impossible.

"Yes, Hermione, you realize it now," Ginny said.

"And Harry has no clue?" Hermione asked.

"No," Ginny said, "He does not."

"How?" Hermione said, "I mean... would he feel something like this happening to him? There would be some trace of it."

"Even if he did, he wouldn't know what it means," Ginny said, "Like I said, something like this doesn't happen every day. In fact, before it happened to Harry, it didn't happen to another person for many, many years."

"So," Hermione said, "Harry, he -"

"Yes," Ginny said, "On the night Lily Potter sacrificed herself, she created a bond of protection around Harry. Of course, nobody realized what had really happened that night, because the gift is so rare. I'm sure even Professor Dumbledore had no clue about it, or at least he didn't realize it happened to Harry. Harry and I have quite a connection between the two of us. We both have one of the most powerful forms of magic running through our blood. The only difference between the two of us is this. It was ancestor whose name I will never know that is the reason I have this gift. For Harry, it was his own mother who created it."

-  
**I'll be completely honest here. When I started this chapter, I planned on doing the Weasleys explanation. It wasn't until I got to Ginny's part of the conversation that I thought of Harry's part of it. **

**I loved this chapter so much! Like I said, this idea was mine and it is not canon. But it was just something I feel would have been awesome of it really happened.**

**Hope you liked it.**


	52. Chaos Theory

**Chapter 52  
Chaos Theory**

**Author's Note: Sorry for some of the grammar and spelling mistakes in the previous chapter. I was writing it rather quickly and made a few obvious mistakes.**

**(Ron's PoV – twenty minutes earlier)**

Ron was sitting at the kitchen table of the Burrow, eating onion soup, when he heard the sound of a whip cracking in the distance. A couple of minutes later, Harry and Ginny walked through the doors.

"Just got the letter a few minutes ago," Harry said, "And we apparated as soon as we could. What's going on? Where's Hermione?"

"She's taking a short nap in the living room," Ron said.

"She's fine," Mrs. Weasley said, "She's been through a very rough morning, Harry. I'm sure Ron will tell you all about it. Ginny, can your father and I talk to you for a moment?"

Ginny looked confused, but she nodded anyway.

"We have hot onion soup here if you are hungry, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said, sitting down, "But I'm fine for now."

Mrs. Weasley smiled and led her husband and Ginny outside.

"What's going on, Ron?" Harry asked, "Why did you write to me? Why are you here instead of at your house?"

"How about I start from the beginning?" Ron asked. "Early this morning, Hermione received a rather particular piece of owl post. It was from Draco Malfoy."

Harry opened his mouth to respond, but Ron shook his head.

"Let me continue," Ron said. "Hermione received a threat letter from Draco, It was on the back of a picture of her and her parents. The letter instructed Hermione to meet Draco at the Shrieking Shack, alone. She went and she discovered that her parents weren't even there. They were never in any danger at all. Draco made Hermione go there, because he had a request for Hermione. He asked her to find a way to get the Ministry off his trail."

"Hermione has no power to do that," Harry said, "Why didn't Malfoy contact one of us?"

"Harry, we're trained Aurors and Draco is on our black list," Ron said, "If we saw Draco, don't you'd think we would capture him without giving him a chance to say anything?"

"What would he have to say that would be important to us?" Harry asked.

"Draco is a member of the rogue group," Ron said, "But he is not working for them."

"He's working undercover?" Harry asked. "For who?"

"As far as I can tell?' Ron replied. "Nobody but himself. He has his own agenda, though it is one you and I have already figured out. Daphne, she's the leader by the way, we were right about that too... apparently she threatened Draco's relationship with Astoria. Hermione said he wasn't very clear on that part, but it sounds as if Daphne has something on him, and he is afraid that Astoria will find out about it. Apparently Draco loves Astoria, mate. I mean... it sounds like he is really in love with her."

"Well, that's just great," Harry scoffed, "Draco's thinking with his heart, not his head. What else did Hermione tell you?"

"Draco doesn't want the Ministry's help," Ron said. "He believes that if the Ministry tries to interfere, Daphne will find out, and she will attack too early. Draco's trying to figure out what her plan of attack is, so we can stop her."

"Why can't Draco tell us where Daphne is so we can grab her and whoever she is working with?" Harry asked.

"I asked that Hermione too," Ron said. "She said that Daphne has some type of charm, stronger than the Secret Keeper charm, around all of them that is stopping Draco from giving that part up."

"That is why he is so eager to do it himself," Harry said. "Because even if he knows the information, he can't tell anyone. That makes him the only one who can solve the case. It is an interesting twist on the whole Secret Keeper thing."

Ron was about to respond, but Ginny and their parents walked back inside. Ginny looked less confused.

"Something wrong?" Ron asked her.

"I'm going to talk to Hermione," Ginny said. "It seems she and I have quite a lot to talk about."

It was at that moment that Ron understood what his parents had talked to Ginny about. Ginny now knew that Hermione knew about their family secret. Ron nodded and Ginny walked through to the living room.

"What was that all about?" Harry asked.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ron looked at his father. His father shook his head. He then understood that, while he had permission to talk about the protection bond with Hermione, it wasn't his right to talk about it with Harry. It seemed that Harry would probably have to wait for his turn until his wedding day.

"Who knows, Harry," he said, rolling his eyes, "It is a complete mystery what girls talk about when they're alone."

Harry chuckled and nodded.

"So, where was I before we were interrupted," Ron said, trying to think back on his conversation with Harry, "Oh right. So after Draco left, Hermione went to make sure her parents were okay. Then she came back to the house, and that is basically where everything went to pieces. You see, the photo that Draco had in his posession, which he gave back to Hermione was actually from Hermione's own photo album that her parents had given for her birthday. The photo album was in our house."

"Which means Draco had to get inside your house to get it," Harry said.

"Correct," Ron said. "Well, we figured this out right away. Hermione cast a revealing charm and a mirror hiding on the side of our fireplace revealed itself."

"A mirror?" Harry asked.

"A mirror," Ron said, "similar to the one Sirius gave you, except that it was only a one-way."

"Let me guess," Harry said, "Your side was blank."

"Yeah," Ron said, "We were being spied on by somebody, and we aren't sure if it was Draco. Right away, I realized Hermione and I weren't safe in our house anymore, and we came back here. There's more bad news. They've been spying on us for at least a month. Which means -"

"They could probably hear our conversations at your house about the mission," Harry said, "Yeah."

"We could have been compromised," Ron said, "And there is worse. Hermione was talking to Draco in the living room where the mirror was. If they were listening at that moment, we could have given Draco away."

"How early was it when you talked to Hermione about this?" Harry asked.

"I don't know," Ron said, "A couple hours ago. So nine, maybe."

"Well, that's lucky," Harry said, "Maybe they were asleep during your conversation. It is Sunday."

Mr. Weasley walked back into the kitchen, and picked up one of the mirrors sitting on the table. He started to twist it around in his fingers, and then grinned as if he had figured something out.

"Something up, Dad?" Ron asked.

"Boys," he said, looking at one of the mirrors, "Give me a few minutes, and I might be able to tell you who was on the other end of this mirror."

"Really?" Harry asked, "How?"

"Can't say yet, Harry," Mr. Weasley said.

Mr. Weasley walked out of the house, and through the window, Ron could see his father heading for the garage.

"He's as cryptic as Hermione sometimes," Ron muttered.

Ginny walked back over to them.

"Are you two done here?" she asked.

Harry nodded.

"Good," Ginny said, "Hermione wants to talk to you, Ron."

Ron stood up and walked into the living room. Hermione had a rather confused expression on her face.

"What's wrong?" Ron asked her.

"Ginny just told me something... rather interesting," Hermione said.

"More information about our wards?" Ron asked.

"Not exactly," Hermione said, then tapped her hand on the sofa cushion next to her, "I think you're going to want to sit down for this one."

Ron did as was requested.

"The day you and Ginny moved out of here," Hermione said, "Your Mum talked to you, right?"

"Yeah," Ron said, raising his eyebrows, "She tried to get us to change our minds."

"Was she talking mostly to you," Hermione asked, "Or to you and Ginny?"

"Now that you mention it," Ron said, "She was a little bit more focused on me than she was with Ginny?"

"Do you know why?" Hermione asked.

"I figured she had talked to Ginny about it already," Ron said.

Hermione shook her head.

"No?" Ron asked. "What did Ginny tell you?"

"Before I tell you," Hermione said, "You must promise me you won't tell Harry. Ginny wants to tell him, but she wants to wait until she tells him about your family's secrets."

"Okay," Ron said, "I promise."

Ron listened as Hermione told him exactly what Ginny had told her. Ron tried to speak during her story, but no words wanted to come out.

"You're serious?" Ron asked, after Hermione finished.

"Your father told Ginny his theory the day she moved in with Harry," Hermione said, "And it seems like it could be true."

Ron put his hands up to his mouth, and felt a tear coming to his eyes. Hermione put her hand on Ron's shoulder. Ron wiped the tear away from his eye with his free hand and looked up at Hermione.

"It's just," Ron said, "all this time, my family wondered why we had this protection surrounding us. Why we were special to have it around us, and why we had never met anyone else who had the same special magic running through their blood. Is it that easy, Hermione? Does someone have to sacrifice themselves in a time of danger, to save their loved ones, and this protection attaches onto that person?"

"I'm not sure if it is that simple, Ron," Hermione said. "There could be a lot of reasons why the magic worked. Maybe the person has to have a pure soul to attach this bond on to. We know Lily was a pure and good witch if there ever was one, and Harry..."

Hermione looked over Ron's shoulder, and Ron turned. Harry was laughing at something Ginny was saying.

"You can't argue that his soul isn't pure," Ron finished for Hermione, "Right."

"That might not even be the reason, Ron," Hermione said. "All I know is this: whatever magic surrounded Harry the night his mother sacrificed herself for him was the same type of magic that created the bond in your bloodline all those years ago."

"I would have never guessed." Ron said, looking back at Harry, "I've known him for so long and I never would have guessed that we have that connection. He – what, Hermione?"

Hermione was giving him one of those "stop-talking-immediately, Ronald!" that he hadn't seen in a while. She then nodded toward the kitchen and Ron looked over his shoulder. His father and Harry were walking into the room.

"I believe I have found the culprit," Ron's father said, "And you won't like it."

-  
**(Pansy's PoV)**

Pansy Parkinson was having a bad morning.

For starters, Draco hadn't come back from Hogsmeade yet, as he had promised, and his absence was starting to cause problems for Pansy. Because Draco wasn't there to cook, she had to do it for herself. She failed yet again, burning the meal, and it had left embarrassing scorch marks on the wall behind the stove that weren't coming off with a washrag. Also, she couldn't figure out how to set the alarm on the Muggle clock, so she had woken up at a late hour in the morning.

But that wasn't the worst part out of everything. She had misplaced the mirror that was used to eavesdrop on Weasley and Granger. She was sure that she had put it under her pillow, and now that it wasn't there. She had spent a good thirty minutes already looking for the mirror, and she still couldn't find it. Then, as she looked on the couch, where Draco usually slept, a sudden thought came to her mind.

"He didn't?" Pansy muttered to himself.

She walked into her bedroom and got down on her hands and knees underneath the large vanity desk. She felt around on the underbelly of the desk, but came up with nothing.

"He did," Pansy growled.

Pansy couldn't believe it. Draco had found where she stashed the mirror, and where she had stashed the photo of Granger's family.

Suddenly, it started to all add up. Draco didn't need to spend the whole weekend at Hogsmeade if he was going to visit Astoria. Students were usually only allowed to go to Hogsmeade during one assigned day during Hogsmeade weekends. Was that the reason Draco hadn't returned yet. He was trying to put together a plan to do something to either Granger or her parents?

"That was my plan!" Pansy growled, "How did you find about that? Why didn't you tell me you were going to do this, Draco? If you are trying to impress me, Malfoy, this isn't the way to do it. Nice try, though."

Suddenly, she heard a series of low, quick, cracking sounds that repeated about four times. The noise made her jump, and hit her head on the underbelly of the vanity desk. Rubbing her throbbing temple, she stood up and ran out into the living room.

She had recognized those sounds. It was someone – no – four people using Stealth Apparation somewhere nearby. She had been studying Stealth Apparation for a couple of weeks now, ever since Daphne had given her the idea. Daphne had told Pansy that if she wasn't aware of Ron and Hermione apparating into their house, that they may be using a kind of silent apparation, that only trained wizards could hear. Finally, after two weeks of studying it, she had heard the tell-tale signs of the silent Apparation.

She ran over to the window and looked out it. She couldn't see anything. She had to find out what was going on. She headed for the bathroom, and looked in the cupboard. To her horror, the bottle of Polyjuice Potion was empty.

"No!" Pansy growled.

She searched through the cupboards and everywhere in the bathroom. Nothing. No inkling of any more Polyjuice Potion anywhere.

"This is impossible!" Pansy growled.

Pansy walked out of the bathroom, and walked over to the couch. She peered out the window and gasped as she saw Harry Potter and Ron Weasley walking down the street... straight to her house.

-  
**(Ron's PoV – a few minutes earlier)**

Ron inhaled, filling his lungs back up with air, as he landed on the living room floor of his and Hermione's house. His father, Hermione and Harry appeared seconds later. Suddenly, a pulsing sound filled the room, and Ron, Hermione and Harry all ducked, and took out their wands. Mr. Weasley, however, just stood there.

"Relax," Mr. Weasley said, "It is the mirror."

Ron, Hermione and Harry stood up. The mirror had a bluish orb hovering around it.

"Bloody hell," Ron said, "I thought someone was trying to curse us."

"Should have warned you about that," Mr. Weasley said, "My apologies."

"Mr. Weasley," Hermione said, "The blue orb... is that a tracking spell?"

"Yes it is, Hermione," Mr. Weasley said, "You see, I was going through an assortment of spells trying to figure out who put a charm on this mirror. I even tried to use the Priori Incantatem spell, but it was no use. Then I came to realize something. This particular eavesdropping charm that was applied to this mirror is strong and long-lasting, yes. But it has two disadvantages. The distance used between the - let's call the the parent mirror and the children mirrors – the distance between the parent mirror and the children mirrors can't be too long, or the eavesdropping charm would become too faint to use properly. Also... all eavesdropping charms have a tracking spell connecting to each different tool the charm is applied on, so the eavesdropper can find the mirror again."

"Wait," Hermione said, "Short distances? You're not saying -"

"I am, Hermione," Mr. Weasley said.

Hermione put a hand to her mouth and shook her head.

"I should have seen this coming," she said, her voice muffled behind her hand.

"What's going on?" Ron asked.

"Remember when the new neighbors moved in down the street, Ron," Hermione said, "And you thought something was going on?"

"Yeah!" Ron said, "I was so sure they were wizards, and you said they weren't!"

"I thought they weren't," Hermione said, "But this, Ron. The tracking charm grows close when the target is close to it. It has to be them."

"Who lives there, Hermione?" Harry asked.

"They said their names were Parker and Lauren," Hermione said, "But... they could have been using Polyjuice Potion."

"How about we go have a talk with this Parker and Lauren, eh?" Harry asked.

"I don't know about this," Hermione said, frowning.

"You can stay behind if you want, Hermione," Mr. Weasley said.

"If she's staying here," Ron said, "Someone has to be here with her."

"Ron, you'll just be down the road," Hermione said, "I'll be safe."

"I don't care, Hermione," Ron said, "Chaos Theory, remember?"

"Chaos Theory?" Harry asked, "What does that have to do with this?"

Ron kicked himself mentally. Harry wasn't supposed to know about that.

"Not important, Harry," Hermione said, "Something Ron saw on the telly. We were watching this documentary, and it made Ron paranoid about the whole Chaos Theory."

Ron's father looked at Ron. Ron grinned and shrugged. Hermione could lie very well when she had to.

"I don't blame you, Ron," Harry said. "Believing that if something can happen, then it will. That's rubbish, if you ask me, but still... it is just plain damn scary."

Hermione rolled her eyes and Ron tried his best not to laugh. Harry could be so oblivious at times.

"Ron, you and Harry are the Aurors here," Hermione said, "This is your job. You have to do it."

"Hermione," Ron said, "If you're asking me to pick my job over you -"

"How about this, Ron?" Mr. Weasley asked, "How about I stay with her, and you take the mirror down to the house?"

"That's a good idea," Hermione said, "I'll be safe with your father."

"Okay," Ron said, taking the mirror from his father, "What are we looking for?"

"The blue light will pulse faster when you are closer to your target," Hermione explained.

"Right," Ron said. "Okay, stay here. We'll be right back. I promise."

"Be careful, Ron," Hermione said, "You too, Harry."

"I won't let anything happen to him, Hermione," Harry said, "I promise."

With a last glance at Hermione, Ron turned toward the door. He and Harry walked out of the house and walked down the street.

"It's just over there," Ron said, pointing to the house, "That blue one right -"

Suddenly, a loud, resounding _CRACK _filled the air.

"Wand out, Ron!" Harry said, taking his wand out from his pocket.

Ron unsheathed his wand from his pocket, and ran toward the house with Harry. Harry ran toward the front door shoulder first and pushed it open with force. Ron walked in to the living room, his wand pointed straight forward.

"Clear," Harry said.

He then put a finger to his mouth, then pointed to Ron, and nodded toward the kitchen. Ron gave a thumbs-up. Harry then pointed to himself, then to the two doors in the hallway.

Ron walked over to the kitchen and, wand still in front of him, walked in. Nobody there, but there was a scorch mark on the back of the oven. Someone had been trying to cook and had failed miserably. Ron started back toward the living room, when the mirror in his hand started to pulse. His eyes widened. Was the other mirror close by? He started searching around then felt his foot kick something. He looked down and saw a small piece of glass on the floor. Ron bent down and picked it up. He studied it and found that it looked reflective... exactly like a mirror.

"Harry!" Ron said, looking at the mirror shard.

Ron ran back to the living room, and Harry ran out. He had an empty bottle in one hand, and in the other his wand was pointed out in front of him, ready for a spell.

"Don't do that, Ron!" Harry said, "I thought you found someone."

"I didn't find someone," Ron said, "I found something."

He raised up the mirror shard.

"I found the mirror," Ron said, "Or part of it. Someone shattered it, and by the look of this piece, it broke into quite a few pieces. What do you think? Was it broken to hide the evidence?"

"If they wanted to hide the evidence," Harry said, "they wouldn't left a shard of it laying around."

"So maybe they were careless and it broke?" Ron said, "Maybe Hermione and I got lucky, and they didn't hear our conversation this morning."

"Maybe," Harry said, Anyway..."

He lifted up the bottle.

"I found something too," Harry said, "Take a whiff."

Ron raised an eyebrow, but did as was told. He put the bottle to his nose and inhaled. He coughed and sputtered, but recognized foul odor.

"P-Polyjuice Potion," Ron said, coughing.

"Exactly," Harry said. "I don't think Parker and Lauren were who they said they were."

"Who where they then?" Ron asked.

"I don't know," Harry said, "But we just missed them. I think they apparated when they saw us coming. We were this close from breaking this case wide open, and we missed our chance."

**Decided to end the chapter there! **

**Let me explain the title of the chapter. If you didn't understand the term Chaos Theory, it is basically this: whatever can happen, probably will. I used it to focus more on the very bad luck Pansy was having. **

**Hope you liked this one! **


	53. Moving Back Home

**Chapter 53  
Moving Back Home**

**(Hermione's PoV)**

"This photo was taken on my first day of school," Hermione said, "Years before I found out I was a witch."

To pass the time, and keep her mind off of what Ron and Harry were doing, Hermione was showing Mr. Weasley pictures of her in her photo album. She turned the page, and Mr. Weasley's eyes brightened.

"I thought you might like this one, Mr. Weasley," Hermione said.

It was a photo of Hermione in the background, and a model airplane near the foreground flying away. Hermione's father had given her the airplane for Christmas when she was nine years old.

"An airplane," Mr. Weasley said, "I thought they were much bigger than this!"

"This is a toy, Mr. Weasley," Hermione said, chuckling, "It is supposed to be that small."

"Do they work the same way though?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Well, this is just one that you would throw with your hand," Hermione said, "and it would float in the air until it landed on the ground. Real airplanes are much different."

Behind Hermione, she heard the sound of something ringing. She turned around quickly, then found the source of the sound. It was the magical clock on the wall. Ron's hand on it was spinning around. Hermione walked over to the clock and took it off the wall.

"I thought I recognized that," Mr. Weasley said, "This is the clock I gave you and Ron when you moved in here, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Hermione said, looking at the clock, "Is that normal, Mr. Weasley? For it to spin and not stop?"

"It usually happens when it is having trouble deciding what the person is doing," Mr. Weasley said, "Ron's not at work, but technically he is doing his job as an Auror, and he is also traveling, and depending on what is down there, he could -"

"He could be in Mortal Peril," Hermione said, quietly.

Mr. Weasley gave her a comforting smile.

"I'm sure he's just fine, Hermione," he said, "Come on. How about we start packing some of this stuff up? That way we can be ready to leave shortly after they get back."

Hermione nodded and put the clock back on the wall. Then, she and Mr. Weasley took their wands from their pockets. Hermione jabbed her wand toward the hallway, and the closet door opened. A number of flattened cardboard boxes floated out onto the floor in front of her.

"I knew there was a good reason I kept most of the boxes when we moved in," Hermione said.

She pointed her wand at the boxes, and they started to return to their shape.

"How about you pack the stuff out here?" Mr. Weasley said, "I'll pack the stuff in the kitchen. That way, you can watch for Ron on the clock."

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley," Hermione said.

"I know what it is like to keep an eye on that clock," Mr. Weasley said, "I've done it many times in my life with my own clock. Maybe more than Molly has."

He chuckled and pointed his wand at one of the boxes. It floated into the air, and he pushed it into the kitchen. Hermione looked back at the clock. Ron's hand was now going back and forth between "Work" to "Traveling". She just wanted his hand to land back on "home".

She sighed and pointed her wand at the bookshelf on the other side of the room. The books started to fly two by two off the shelf and rest neatly in one of the boxes.

A few minutes later, as Hermione was finishing packing most of the small things into a couple of boxes, she heard the ringing sound from the clock again. Ron's hand landed on "Traveling" then moved over to "Home". Hermione turned her head to the door, just as it opened. Harry walked in, followed by Ron. Hermione rushed over to Ron and hugged him.

"I was so worried," Hermione said.

"I'm fine, Hermione," Ron said, chuckling, "I was never in any danger."

"So nobody was there?" Hermione asked.

"Someone was at the house," Harry said, "Shortly before we got there. They apparated away just as we were walking down the street. They must have seen us. "

Hermione gasped. Mr. Weasley walked out, followed in tow by two floating boxes filled with dishes and glasses.

"Ah, boys!" Mr. Weasley said, "Right on time. We were just in the middle of packing. Did you find anything?"

"Mirror shards," Ron said, "Someone had broken the mirror. I found one piece, then quite a few more when we were looking around."

"That reminds me!" Harry said, "Do you have any Floo Powder left here, Hermione?"

Hermione waved her wand at one of the boxes, and the bag of Floo Powder floated in the air.

"Are you going somewhere?" Hermione asked.

"No," Harry said, shaking his head, "Just needing it for quick contact."

He walked over to the fireplace and started a small flame with his wand. Mr. Weasley returned to the kitchen to finish packing in there.

"So... packing?" Ron asked, "I'll take the bedroom. Or – er – do you want to pack up the bedroom, Hermione?"

"How about you just work together?" Harry asked. "You'll get things done quicker. Besides, I'm sure it is natural for you two to -"

"Finish that sentence, Harry, and I'll tie your tongue in a knot," Hermione interrupted him, blushing madly.

Hermione turned and looked at Ron. Ron looked as if he wanted to say something, probably to Harry. Hermione took his hand in hers and dragged him into the bedroom. Behind her, Hermione could hear Harry snickering.

"I mean it, Harry!" Hermione said.

She pointed her wand at a couple of boxes and they flew over her head and into the bedroom. Hermione shut the door to the bedroom just as Harry was sticking his head into the green flame. Hermione turned around and noticed that Ron looked rather annoyed at something.

"Something wrong?" Hermione asked him.

"No," Ron said, "Not at all."

He walked over to the dresser and pointed his wand at it. Hermione's make-up and perfume flew off the top of it and gently dropped into the bottom of one of the boxes. He gave a very resigned sigh.

"Do you think he knows?" Ron asked. "Harry? That we've –?"

He paused and motioned toward the bed.

"Yeah, Ron," Hermione said, "I do."

"Oh," Ron said.

He blushed rather madly, and pointed his wand at the dresser drawers. Piles of clothes shot out of various drawers and landed in another box. Hermione walked over to the closet and pointed her wand at it. Clothes floated off the hangers, folded instantly, and dropped in the box with the other clothes.

"Do you think," Ron asked, "that Harry and Ginny –?"

"I don't know, Ron," Hermione said.

"Oh," Ron said, "I just thought that – you know – you and Ginny would talk about stuff like that."

"Not at all," Hermione said.

"Oh," Ron said, again.

"They do still sleep in separate bedrooms, don't they?" Hermione asked.

"Sure, I guess so," Ron said.

"Well, then," Hermione said, "I think that is a good enough answer for me."

Ron resumed packing, and Hermione noticed that his mood seemed to have improved quite a bit.

-  
**(Harry's PoV – a couple minutes earlier)**

Harry stuck his head into the green fire and a few moments later, after a dizzy spinning, he was looking out of the fireplace of the office of the secretary for the Minister of Magic.

"A-anyone there?" Harry said, coughing, "This is Auror Harry Potter needing assistance."

Kingsley's secretary walked up to the fire.

"Auror Potter!" she said, "How may I help you?"

"I need to speak to the Minister immediately," Harry said, "This is concerning the Priority Threat."

"One moment, Mr. Potter," the secretary said.

The secretary walked into the Minister's office. A minute later, she returned with Kingsley following in her stead. He walked over to the fireplace.

"Harry," Kingsley said, "How may I help you?"

"Is this a secure line, sir?" Harry asked.

"Of course," Kingsley said.

"Ron and I have discovered a house," Harry said, "believed to be one of the locations of the rogue group of wizards. Unfortunately, the suspect apparated before we were able to get inside."

He then gave Kingsley the address.

"Well done, Harry," Kingsley said, "I will send out members of the Magical Forensics Squad, to give a thorough sweep of the location, along with a group of Aurors to search the surrounding area. Are you still in the area?"

"Only temporarily, sir," Harry said, "The house was located just down the street from Ron's residence, where he lived with Hermione Granger. Ron had no clue that the suspects were so close until today. I am currently at Ron's house."

"Is Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger in any danger?" Kingsley asked.

"We believe that is likely, sir," Harry said, "We are in the process moving them to the Burrow for a while."

"My best wishes to them, Harry," Kingsley said, "Will Mr. Weasley still be able to return to work?"

"He has not given any indication of a different opinion than that, sir," Harry said.

"Good," Kingsley said, "Then I expect a full verbal report from both of you, on how you discovered this location, given to me by this time tomorrow. Is this understood?"

"Yes, sir," Harry said.

"The squad will be in the area shortly," Kingsley said.

"The area is a highly populated with Muggles, sir," Harry said, "There was no risk of danger today, but -"

"I will order the use of a stealthy operation," Kingsley said.

"Thank you, sir," Harry said, "Good day, Minister."

"Good day, Harry," Kingsley said, "Again, job well done today, especially when it is your day off."

"Just doing my part, Minister," Harry said.

Kingsley smiled, and Harry backed out of the fireplace, coughing as he did so.

- **  
(Ron's PoV)  
**

Shortly before they left the house, Harry and Ron met up. at the house down the street, with the Magical Forensics Squad and the group of Aurors to explain to them what they had found. The Magical Forensics Squad told them they would do a thorough sweep of the house, and would have the results of their findings by the following morning.

By two-o-clock in the afternoon, everything from Ron and Hermione's old house had now been moved back to the Burrow. Ron had moved back into his bedroom, and was now in the process of moving things around his room to his fancy. Hermione had taken up residence in Ginny's old bedroom. Everything from their that dd not fit, or have a place, in their bedrooms were moved into the garage.

Ron had expected that Hermione would have to sleep in Ginny's old room, though he had not been too happy about it. Of course, he never expressed his feelings to someone like his mother, but he was sure Hermione was aware of his objections.

As Ron was putting his clothes in his dresser, there was a knock on his door.

"Door's open," Ron said.

The door opened and Hermione walked in.

"Hi, stranger," Ron said, rolling his eyes.

Hermione gave him a look that basically confirmed that she was aware of his objections.

"How's the new accommodations?" Ron asked.

"Not as welcoming as the old ones," Hermione said, with a grin.

"I was just thinking of the same thing," Ron said.

"You're surprised I'm back in Ginny's room then?" Hermione asked.

"No," Ron said, "I know it would happen, but that does not mean I do not object. Our house was our key to privacy. Now we're under the watchful eyes and ears of my mother again."

"You seemed to have forgotten one particular useful little spell for times like this," Hermione said, before taking her wand out and pointing it to the door, "Muffliato!"

"Still doesn't mean I'll be able to wake up to the sight of you every morning," Hermione said.

"That is what my alarm clock is for," Hermione said, "I could wake up early enough before your Mum comes checking."

Ron grinned. "You really do think of everything," he said.

"Mmhmm," Hermione said.

She walked over to Ron and kissed him softly on the lips.

"What would I do without you?" he asked her.

"You'll never have to find out," Hermione said, with a grin.

**(Hermione's PoV)  
**  
That evening, Mrs. Weasley made a big Halloween dinner for everyone. Harry and Ginny had remained at the Burrow for the day, to help Ron and Hermione finish moving everything in, and now everyone was seated in the kitchen, enjoying a wonderful meal.

"It is so wonderful having someone else in this house once again besides Arthur and myself," Mrs. Weasley said, grinning. "It is odd not having my children in this house when I've been used to it for thirty years now."

"It is certainly refreshing," Mr. Weasley said, "though I wish the circumstances of such thing had come in a different form."

"I must say, Ron, Hermione," Mrs. Weasley said, "the timing could not be more perfect, given that your wedding is in seven months. We'll have plenty of time to prepare for it."

"Hermione and I have already discussed quite a few bits of our wedding plans, Mum," Ron said.

Hermione glared at Ron, when she realized he had hurt his mother's feelings.

"What Ronald forgot to say, though" she said, "is that we still have plenty more plans to go through, Mrs. Weasley. You are more than welcome to help us."

Mrs. Weasley's mood instantly brightened.

"Any thoughts for your best men, Ron?" Harry asked.

"Do you honestly think I wouldn't ask you to be up there with me, Harry?" Ron replied

"Just curious," Harry said, grinning.

"I'm only having three best men, though," Ron said, "I'm keeping one spot open for Fred. It is only appropriate given that we've chosen to get married on the date of his death."

Tears instantly appeared in the eyes of Ron's mother.

"I'm sure he would have loved that, Ron," Mr. Weasley said.

"It is only appropriate," Ron said, "given that we've chosen to get married on the date of his death."

Conversation remained on Hermione and Ron's wedding plans throughout dinner. After dinner, Hermione pulled Ginny away to have a discussion with her.

"I thought it would be more appropriate if I asked you first," Hermione said, "before you decide to go the unconventional route Harry had chosen. Ginny, would you like to be one of my bridesmaids for my wedding?"

"Of course, I would!" Ginny said.

"I wouldn't accept just yet, Ginny," Hermione said. "Especially when you hear my thoughts for my other bridesmaid choices. One of them is Fleur. I thought I should tell you given that you aren't exactly comfortable around your sister-in-law."

"It doesn't matter how I feel about Fleur," Ginny said. "It is your decision to ask her, given that it is your big day. Of course, I'll accept your offer to be your bridesmaid."

Hermione squealed lightly and hugged her best friend.

"Besides," Ginny whispered, "I will soon have a much better sister-in-law."

Hermione grinned.

"Seven months," she said, "Wow. Time really flies by."

"I'm sure it'll fly by much faster in the coming months," Ginny said.

"Have you and Harry decided anything about your wedding?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Ginny said, and Hermione noticed a touch of a frown in her lips, "We've decided to put off our wedding for a while. Maybe even for a few years. He's not exactly ready to get married as quick as you and Ron are."

"Ginny," Hermione said, sighing, "Ron and I have only made this decision to get married this soon, because we realize how much we love each other, and we don't need to wait any longer."

"I wish Harry felt that way," Ginny said, "But he knows that I am focused on Quidditch. And I know that Quidditch careers don't last very long when one is focused on having a family."

"Well, then that is a good reason to put it off," Hermione said, "You're very good at what you do. You should enjoy that for a few years, before you decide on having a family."

"What about you and Ron?" Ginny asked, "Are you guys considering family?"

Hermione blushed.

"Not right off the bat," Hermione said, "We've decided to wait for that, I think. Mostly because Ron respects my parents too much, and I've promised my father I wouldn't make him a grandfather until he's fifty. He's only in his mid-forties. Besides, we're focused on our careers as well."

"So," Ginny said, "you and Ron haven't –?"

Hermione blushed even deeper.

"I didn't say that," Hermione said, grinning.

She noticed Ginny looked a little envious.

"So," Hermione said, "I guess that means you and Harry -"

"I haven't even moved out of his second bedroom yet," Ginny said.

"Harry's always been shy about that type of thing," Hermione said. "When he's ready, you'll know."

Ginny nodded.

Late that evening, after Hermione was sure that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had gone to bed, she crept out of her new bedroom and up the stairs towards Ron's room. The door was slightly ajar when she arrived, and she gently pushed it open. Ron was still wide awake when she walked in. She cast the Muffliato Charm on the door, and walked over to the bed. Ron raised the covers, and Hermione laid down and cuddled next to him.

"Ah, now I feel right at home," Ron said.

Hermione nodded in agreement.

"By the way," she said, "You know the question you asked me earlier about your sister and best friend?"

Ron frowned.

"You talked to Ginny about that, didn't you?" he asked.

"Yeah," Hermione said.

"All right," Ron said, "I'm ready. Let me hear it."

"I can confirm that your suspicions are false," Hermione said.

Ron looked at Hermione with raised eyebrows. He then grinned.

"Probably not for too long though," Hermione said.

"Okay," Ron said.

"You're okay with that?" Hermione asked.

"If there is one person who would never do anything to hurt Ginny," Ron said, "It is Harry."

Hermione kissed Ron and smiled at him.

"That is one of the sweetest things I've ever heard you say," she said.

Ron grinned. Hermione set the alarm on the clock, then nestled her head against Ron's shoulder and drifted off to sleep, happy to be in his arms once again.

-  
**Aww, I really loved this chapter. I needed some good light moments in a story that has become so serious as of late. Speaking of that, for those of you wishing for some more Harry/Ginny moments in my story, you'll get your wish sometime during the next chapter!**

**Hope you liked this chapter!**


	54. Failure

**Chapter 54  
Failure**

**Author's Note: I just realized in my last chapter I repeated one of Ron's lines twice. Ugh. My apologies.**

**Also I will take this time to answer a question given to me in a review. I don't see how I can explain it in a chapter so I will explain it here.**

**Q: Could you,perhaps elaborate a bit more on this special Weasley power? And when did Harry and Ginny decide to put off their wedding?**

**A: The special bond the Weasleys have in their blood is a protective ward. The ward is more of a charm surrounding them, and where ever they live with protection. It keeps intruders out and makes their residences have like a magic security system. The ward, however, does not prevent them from most severe injuries or death. Also, because of the curse, if there are enough people in the vicinity to equal out those who have the ward around them (for example, Bill and Fleur's wedding, or Hermione living with Ron), the bond will temporarily break, and the chance of attack heightens quite a bit, be it bad luck or the power of the curse. The bond is passed on through blood or connection of love through other family members (the process of this will be shown towards the very end of the story). Harry has this same bond. It was created by his mother through her sacrifice.**

**Harry and Ginny are still engaged, of course, they just decided they didn't need to get married as fast as Hermione and Ron have decided. They can wait years to make it official (two or three or four), because they are focused more on their careers. I didn't really plan when they decided, only why... it was just some time during the last couple of months storyline wise. Sorry about not getting too specific with it. The idea came to me, and I didn't really put too much thought into it.**

**(Daphne's PoV)**

Daphne was currently living with Blaise Zabini in his flat in London. Daphne and Blaise had been in a steady relationship for a little over a couple of months now, though few in their secret group was aware of it. Blaise's flat was an unregistered location, hidden from the Magical Zoning Department, and therefore was the perfect location to hide from the Ministry, if they decided to start searching for either of them. It had also been used for the new location of Daphne's meetings whenever she requested one. They had used the old one too much, and feared that Muggles around the neighborhood were getting suspicious of so many guests on a regular basis.

Daphne and Blaise were currently eating breakfast and waiting for Pansy's arrival. Daphne had ordered Pansy and Draco to come to their house to explain what had happened at the house where they were living in, while spying on Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.

Daphne had gone to the house the previous day to check up on how Pansy and Draco were doing with their mission, and had found that her presence there was rather unwelcome...

_Flashback:_

_Daphne walked out of the restrooms she had used as an apparation point when she would need to visit Pansy and Draco. It was located in a small playground, just down the road from the house. She walked across the playground and what she saw, she did not expect. There were two London Police Cruisers blocking the very road she wanted to go down. Deciding it probably wasn't anything to worry about, she walked across the street. A man in a police uniform stepped out from behind the car._

_"I'm sorry, Miss," the man said, "This road has been blocked off for a few hours while we work on a water main break in the area. The whole street is flooded."_

_"I see no water," Daphne said, "I just live down the road, and I wish to go home."._

_"I must insist that you leave for a few hours, ma'am," the man said, "Go to a friend's house."_

_Daphne narrowed her eyes, then she noticed that a thin, narrow strip of wood was sticking out of the man's pocket. The man was not a Muggle Police Officer. He was a wizard. If he was guarding the street, it meant something was happening down there. She had to find out what was going on. She grinned and nodded._

_"I'm sorry, sir," Daphne said, "I didn't mean to be a bother. Good day."_

_Daphne turned around and started to walk across the street. She then reached her hand toward her pocket, where her wand was. She inhaled and exhaled. She then whipped her wand out and turned around in one fluid motion._

_"Stupefy!" Daphne whispered, with force._

_Her movement was so quick, the wizard didn't even see it coming. The spell hit the wizard's chest and he smacked against the police car, then crumpled to the ground, stunned. Daphne smirked and walked back toward the police car._

_"Obliviate!" she said, pointing her wand at the wizard._

_The wizard's eyes went out of focus. He would not remember ever seeing her._

_Daphne stowed her wand and crept along the road toward her destination. When she closed in on the house, she saw a group of wizards in Ministry suits walking in and out of the house. She immediately crept over behind a car and hid herself behind it._

_What had happened in the house? Where was Pansy and Draco? What had happened to them? Had they been discovered and captured? She needed answers._

_She moved around the car, and crept behind a very large hedge-bush that was formed a wall between Pansy's house and their neighbor._

_"What do you got there, Sasha?" a man said._

_"Polyjuice Potion glasses," Sasha said, "Goes along with that bottle the Potter guy found. I guess whoever these people were, were disguising themselves with Polyjuice Potion. Seems they ran out very recently. The scent of the potion is still in the bottle."_

_"Any idea if we'll be able to get any thing to use to find these guys?" the man said._

_"Not the glasses," Sasha said. "These perps were smart. They used the Scourgify Charm, and a very good one at that. Only a magnificent Scouring Charm can remove all traces from an object. The bottle, however, might give us something. Not one-hundred percent sure, though."_

_Daphne growled lowly. These people had evidence that could lead them to Pansy or Draco. She knew there were too many of these people for her to take out. Could she try it, and maybe get lucky enough to take them out?_

_She shook her head. No, if she was caught, her plan would fail. She could not risk that. If the Ministry found anything on Draco and Pansy, they were on their own. _

_She smirked. Besides... her Secret Keeper Charm was way too powerful for them to give too much away. _

_"Found something, sir!" another man said, "More mirror shards. All in one condensed space."_

_"From the mirror used to spy on Auror Weasley?" the first man said._

_"Most likely, sir," the second man said, "It seems the mirror was shattered. Like dropped to the floor with enough force to break it."_

_"An attempt at destroying evidence?" Sasha asked._

_"They could have used a Reduction spell for that," the second man said._

_"Not if they were refraining from using magic so the Ministry couldn't detect them," Sasha said, "They could have been hasty too. Needed enough time to destroy the evidence before they apparated away from the house. Perhaps they panicked and this was all they could think of."_

_Daphne sighed in relief. Where ever Pansy and Draco were, they were not in Ministry custody._

_"Can we get any trace from it?" the first man said._

_"No, sir," the second man said, "The pieces are too small."_

_"Well, keep searching," the first man said, "We're bound to find something."_

_Daphne had heard enough. Pansy nor Draco were there. They seemed to have apparated away in time . Somehow Harry Potter was in the area and had discovered them. How much of a bother was Potter going to be? She would have to deal with him personally. Adding him into her grand plans would make it all worth it._

_Daphne crept away and headed back down the street._

_Flashback ends_

Daphne stared down at her food, as she thought about the previous day. Pansy was going to have to explain herself, or there was going to be hell to pay.

"Daphne?" Blaise asked.

Daphne shook her head and snapped out of her reverie.

"What?" she retorted.

"Nothing," Blaise said, "You seemed to be drifting off there."

"Was thinking about my plans," Daphne said.

"When are you going to tell me about your plans?" Blaise asked.

"When the time is right," Daphne said.

"You tell that to everyone," Blaise said, "I should be different."

"Why?" Daphne asked, "Because I'm in your bed every night? Well, I'm sorry, honey. I'm not going to risk it. You know how big this thing is to me – to us – to all of us. How important it is."

"Am I important to you?" Blaise asked.

"Of course," Daphne asked.

"Do you love me?" Blaise asked.

"I – yeah, of course, I do," Daphne said.

This was a lie, however. There was only one man she ever loved. It was most certainly not Blaise.

"So why do you treat me like everyone else?" Blaise asked.

"I most certainly do not," Daphne said. "I think I treat you a lot better than I treat everyone else. If you want me to treat you like everyone else, I could. Is that what you want?"

"Of course not," Blaise said.

Daphne was about to reply, when she heard a knock on the front door. She stood up and walked over to it. Pansy was standing there.

"Get in here," Daphne said, "Did anyone see you?"

"How thick do you think I am, Daph?" Pansy asked, as she walked through the doorway.

"That is exactly why I requested your presence," Daphne said, closing the door, "To find out just how thick you are. Where's Draco?"

"He – er – well, it's complicated, Daphne," Pansy said.

"I'm sure I could understand," Daphne said.

"I haven't seen him in forty-eight hours," Pansy said. "He went to Hogsmeade to visit your sister. Hogsmeade weekend, I guess."

"He went away from his mission to visit my sister?" Daphne asked.

"He said Astoria would ask unwanted questions if he didn't show up," Pansy said. "He promised her he would be there."

"Hogsmeade weekend usually only takes place on Saturday," Daphne said, "Where was he yesterday?"

"Like I said, he didn't show up," Pansy said.

"Fine," Daphne said, "We can deal with that later. I want you to tell me what happened to you yesterday."

"Wh-what do you mean?" Pansy asked.

Daphne rolled her eyes and took Pansy by the shoulders and put her up against the wall. The glass plates in the china cabinet nearby shook and threatened to fall.

"I mean why was there Aurors and Ministry workers at your house yesterday, Pansy?" Daphne demanded.

"Do you have to so forceful with her, Daph?" Blaise asked.

"Silence, Blaise," Daphne said.

"Have it your way," Blaise said. "I'd be careful though. You can't get questions from her if you knock her out. Oh, and try not to break the dishware. They're my Mum's."

"Answer the question, Pansy," Daphne said.

"Potter and Weasley almost caught me yesterday," Pansy said. "I didn't have any Polyjuice Potion, so I had to get out of there."

"Didn't you hear them coming?" Daphne asked.

"I saw them coming," Pansy said, "That is why I was able to get out of there."

"That isn't what I meant," Daphne said, "The mirror. Why didn't you hear them coming? Obviously they must have talked about going to your house."

"I didn't have the mirror," Pansy said, "I think Draco took it with him."

"Wrong again!" Daphne said. "The forensics team there found mirror shards on the floor, Pansy. The mirror had been shattered to pieces!"

Pansy's eyes widened.

"Draco must have done it then!" Pansy said, "Before he left!"

"Why would he do that?" Daphne asked.

"How am I supposed to know?" Pansy asked.

Daphne narrowed her eyes. She growled and opened the front door.

"Find him, Pansy," Daphne said, "I want answers."

Pansy nodded and walked out the door. Daphne shut it and turned around.

"I told you we couldn't trust Malfoy, Daph," Blaise said, "But no, you didn't listen."

"Blaise," Daphne said, in an I'm-warning-you voice.

"Just saying," Blaise said, and walked back into the kitchen.

Daphne closed her eyes.

"I won't fail you, My Lord," she whispered, "I promise. I will avenge you. Even if it is the last thing I do."

-  
**(Harry's PoV)**

Harry and Ron walked into Kingsley's office at nine-o-clock that morning. Kingsley was sitting at his desk reading through a stack of parchment.

"Ah, gentlemen!" Kingsley said, looking up, "Come and sit down."

"We can come back, Minister," Harry said, "I can see you are quite busy?"

"This?" Kingsley asked, motioning to the parchment in front of him, "It is the forensics report. It arrived just a few minutes ago. Sit."

Harry and Ron nodded and did as they were told.

"How about we run through what happened yesterday?" Kingsley said, "From the start, please."

Harry looked at Ron, and Ron looked back at him. Ron sighed, and must have realized he would have to go first. He looked back at the Minister and started telling him about what had happened between Hermione and Draco.

"Are you sure Draco was being completely honest with Miss Granger?' Kingsley asked, after Ron finished.

"Draco was willing to let Hermione kill him if she didn't trust him," Ron said. "Hermione said that he kept wanting her to kill him, because if she didn't listen to him and trust him, he feared he would get killed anyway."

"So he is trying to use this Secret Keeper Charm he has on him to his advantage," Kingsley said.

"We believe so," Harry said, "What do you think? Should we trust him?"

"What do you think, Harry?" Kingsley asked.

"In my opinion," Harry said, "Draco's a changed man. He's a little foolish to put himself in this position. But he's also in love and will do anything for Astoria. If I was in his position, I'd probably do the same thing."

"We'll trust him for now then," Kingsley said. "Now... I know the details of what happened when you went to the house. I want to know how you found out members of the rogue group lived there."

Ron told Kingsley about the mirror, and how he realized he and Hermione were being spied on. He then explained how his father had found out about the mirror's charms.

"The eavesdropping charm could only be applied for close-distances," Ron said. "So we figured it had to be somewhere nearby my house. The tracking charm,7 that came with the eavesdropping charm, led us to the house where we found shards of the mirror. It had been destroyed. We don't know why it was destroyed."

"Before this conversation," Kingsley said, "I would have agreed with you. But now that we know of Draco's innocence. Maybe he was in that house with someone else in this rogue group, and he didn't want them to eavesdrop on you anymore after he left the house. So he destroyed the mirror."

"Why did he destroy it?" Harry asked. "He was trying to make himself look like he was a part of this group."

"Why indeed, Harry," Kingsley said, "We'll have to ask Draco that if we ever meet up with him again. Anything else?"

"No, sir," Harry said, shaking his head, "Did the forensics team find anything?"

"The only trace they have found this far was on the bottle you uncovered," Kingsley said, "It confirms Draco was in that house. It doesn't tell us, however, who he was with. But that is not the most interesting thing that happened while the forensics team was there."

"Oh?" Harry asked.

"It appears that one of the members of the rogue group," Kingsley said, "was in the vicinity."

"They saw somebody?" Ron asked.

"One of the Aurors in the area did," Kingsley said, "However, they cannot tell us who it is."

"Why not?" Harry asked.

"He was found Stunned," Kingsley said, "And when they woke him up, he had no idea how he had come to be that way. Whoever did this, had cleared his memory of the event which led him to be Stunned. The forensics team did not see whoever did this. Nobody else was injured, and none of the evidence was stolen. It is believed that if they did stay behind for a few minutes, they only did so to eavesdrop in on the Forensics team, though probably not for very long. I can tell you this though. Whoever Stunned that Auror was quick. The Auror's wand had never been removed from his pocket. He had no chance to defend himself."

"Why did they keep him alive?" Ron asked.

"Maybe they weren't ready to kill someone," Harry said.

Kingsley smiled encouragingly.

"Maybe," Kingsley said, "And that is something we might be able to use on them. That is all for now, gentleman. You may go. Thank you for your work when you were off duty."

"Thank you, sir," Harry and Ron said.

They walked out of the office, and headed for the lifts.  
-

**(Ginny's PoV)**

The first Saturday of the month, Ginny and the rest of the Holyhead Harpies were in the locker room, getting prepared for their next match against the Ballycastle Bats. They had home-pitch advantage for the game, but this time that didn't matter. The Bats' fan-base was huge, and it was expected that the Bats fans in attendance could overpower the Harpies' fans.

"These fans are loud!" Roxy Waters said, looking up at the ceiling, "ICan't tell if it is our fans or the other guys!"

"If it is the other guys, we'll hush them up," Ginny said.

"Round up, Harpies!" Gwenog Jones said.

Ginny tightened her gloves, grabbed her broom and walked over to Gwenog, as the rest of the team huddled around them. Gwenog held up three fingers.

"Three," she said. "that is how many matches we have left before the playoffs start."

She put down two fingers.

"One," she said, "That is how many matches we need to win to get into the playoffs."

The girls grinned and cheered softly. Gwenog put another finger up.

"Two," Gwenog said. "That is how many matches we need to win to get home-pitch advantage for the playoffs."

She put one finger back down.

"But for now I only want you to focus on this," she said. "One win. We need one win to get into the playoffs. That is all that matters right now."

"We haven't lost a match yet, Gwen," Bertha said, "Why should we start today?"

"That is what I wanted to hear," Gwenog said, "Harpies, hands in!"

Ginny and the rest of the team put one hand in.

"One win," Gwenog said, "That is the only thing I want you thinking about today. Don't think about those playoffs just yet. We aren't there yet, so I don't want you thinking about it. First thing first. Let's get that one win! Go to the Pitch, Harpies!"

Ginny grinned and followed her team-mates out of the locker room. As she did, she heard a couple of them groan. The weather, which had been only cloudy when Ginny had arrived at the stadium, was now a downpour of rain and thunder and lightning filled the sky.

"I don't think it was the fans you heard making all that noise, Roxy," Chase Crowe said.

-  
An hour into the game and the weather had not let down. Ginny was soaked to her skin, and her hands kept slipping off the broom before she had gotten her grip again. The Quaffle had also been quite wet, and she had dropped it at least three times in the past hour.

However, it didn't seem like the Ballycastle Bats played very well in the rain. Harpies were leading 140 to 70.

"Ginny, catch!" Gwenog's wind-muffled voice said somewhere close.

Ginny looked to her left just as the Quaffle headed her way. She caught the Quaffle and -

"Ginny, no, dive!" Gwenog said.

Ginny dived a split-second before a Bludger flew over where her head had been. She pulled back into the air, and she could hear broomsticks whirring behind her. The Bats' Chasers were in pursuit. She headed toward the rings and saw a Bats' Chaser's hand come up from her right, then disappear as the crowd around the stadium groaned, and others cheered. Ginny looked down for a second to see the Bats Chaser plummeting toward the ground, the back of their broomstick destroyed by the same Bludger that had almost taken Ginny out.

Ginny headed for the rings and threw the Quaffle toward the right. The Bats' Keeper headed for it... and barely missed it as it went through the rings. The crowd cheered...

… but it wasn't the Harpies fans. Ginny spun around. The Bats' Seeker was circling the field. Ginny could barely see the tiny golden Snitch's wings through the Seeker's fingers.

"The Bats' Seeker, Flores, has come up from out of nowhere and has caught the Snitch!" the announcer yelled, "Ballycastle Bats win!"

Ginny's eyes widened. The Harpies had lost. For the first time, she had lost a Professional Quidditch Match.

-  
**(Harry's PoV)**

An hour-and-a-half after Ginny's Quidditch Game, Harry had finished making dinner. Ginny hadn't come down from her bedroom since they had come home, and had not given any indication she wanted to come down at all.  
Harry served two plates of pork-chops and fried potatoes and, with his wand, made them float in the air. He brought them upstairs and walked over to Ginny's bedroom door.

"Can I come in?" Harry asked.

No sound came from Ginny's room. Harry sighed and reached for the doorknob, but the door opened before he could turn it. Ginny was sitting on the bed with her wand pointed at the door. She was sitting up, with her knees near her face. Her pillow was laying against her knees.

"Thanks," Harry said.

Ginny put her wand on the bedside table, and put her face back into the pillow. Harry knew she had been crying.

"I made dinner," Harry said.

"I'm not hungry," Ginny's muffled voice said.

Harry put the plate on the bedside table.

"Can I sit down?" Harry asked, "I don't like to eat alone. It is boring."

Ginny made a motion that looked like she was nodding. Harry sat on the end of the bed.

"Ginny," he said, "You were excellent out there on the Pitch."

"We lost, Harry," Ginny's muffled voice said.

"Only because the Bats' Seeker got lucky," Harry said. "I saw him. He was hanging out around the end of the rings where your Keeper Waters was. I think he must have some kind of fancy for her, because he was down there for most of the match. The Snitch was hanging out around the bottom of one of the poles, and Flores saw it."

Ginny looked up. Her eyes were red.

"Rotten luck," Harry said, "That is all. But you were brilliant out there."

"I kept dropping the Quaffle," Ginny said.

"Only three times," Harry said, "Anyone would have dropped that thing in the pouring rain. You can't win them all, Ginny. Heck, I bet there are quite a few Quidditch Players in the past who lost their very first game, and you went how many games before you lost one?"

"Five," Ginny said.

"How many people can say that?" Harry asked.

Ginny shrugged.

"We needed one win to get into the playoffs," she said.

"You have two more matches to go before then," Ginny said, "Do you honestly think you can't get another win?"

Ginny shrugged again. Harry shook his head and chuckled.

"Look at me," he said.

Ginny did so.

"You're one of the most amazing Quidditch players I've ever seen," Harry said.

"You're just saying that because I'm your fiancee," Ginny said.

"Maybe a little," Harry said, "But you're still brilliant, okay. You were bound to lose your first match sometime."

"I know," Ginny said, "But we were all so excited about this one. We needed one more win to get into the playoffs and two more wins to have home-pitch advantage. Now we have to win both "

"You'll get it," Harry said.

Ginny nodded. She then looked at her plate of food and picked it up.

"Thanks, Harry," Ginny said.

Harry smiled. He scooted over on the bed and sat next to Ginny. As he was eating, he looked around the room.

"You know," Harry said, "I've been thinking. Now that I am an Auror, I need a home office and stuff. You know, if there is ever anything I need to bring home with me."

"What are you saying?" Ginny asked.

"What I'm saying, Ginny," Harry said, "is this: we only need one bedroom. If you know- if you want that."

Ginny grinned and kissed Harry on the lips. Harry returned the kiss and backed up.

"I'm guessing that is a yes," he said.

"Yeah, Harry," Ginny said, "That's a yes. Thanks, Harry. You really know how to cheer me up."

"What else am I here for?" Harry asked.

Ginny grinned. Her mood was a lot better throughout the rest of the night.

-  
**I really liked this chapter. I hadn't really planned Daphne's part until I realized I needed it to lead up to another part of the story coming up.  
****  
Hope you liked this one too! **


	55. Astoria's Invitation

**Chapter 55  
Astoria's Invitation **

****

(Astoria's PoV)

Saturday evening, the Great Hall at Hogwarts was filled with students. There were rumors that Headmistress McGonagall was going to announce something that evening, and everyone was excited to hear what she had to say. Astoria was sitting at the Slytherin Table eating, and reading through a chapter of her Advanced Potion Making book. The previous day she had failed to make a passing version the lying potion, Mentiraserum. Professor Slughorn had given her extra homework, asking her to do an essay on the differences and similarities between Veritaserum and Mentiraserum, and when it is essential to use both.

"Slughorn was really harsh on you yesterday, Astoria," a voice said on the other side of the table.

Astoria looked up. Garrett, her partner in Potions class, was looking at her. She was surprised he was talking to her. They had never talked outside of Potions class.

"It's okay," Astoria said, shrugging, "I was distracted with the potion. Made a few mistakes."

"One mistake, Astoria," Garrett said, "You added a rat's tail instead of a Flobberworm. They look similar and have the same texture. Anyone could have made the same mistake."

"We learned the differences in ingredients a long time ago," Astoria said, "That can hardly be to blame. I just wasn't paying attention."

Garrett opened his mouth to speak, but frowned and looked back down at his chicken leg. Astoria shrugged and looked back at her book.

A sharp ding interrupted Astoria's concentration and she looked up at the Professor's table, as did everyone else in the room.

"Righ'," Hagrid said, "Professor McGonagall woul' like ter make an announcement."

Professor McGonagall stood up.

"Thank you, Hagrid," she said, then turned to the students. "There have been rumors going around that I have arranged a surprise announcement for this evening. I will now say those rumors are correct. As everyone knows, in the coming weeks, you'll all be studying for your End of Term tests. I wish you all luck on those. I'm sure they will be very exhausting and troubling. So, I have given all of you something to look forward to for the last day of term. On the final Friday morning before term ends, I invite the First through Third Years to come and enjoy an early Christmas party here in the Great Hall."

The First through Third Years cheered.

"Fourth through Seventh years, I haven't left you out," McGonagall said. "Because, on the same Friday, in the evening, I am inviting the lot of you to the Yule Ball that will be taking place here that evening."

The Fourth through Seventh Years cheered loudly. Professor McGonagall put her hand up.

"I've announced this early so that you can prepare for it and be dressed in your best that evening," she said. "I hope that all of you will be on your best manners. Thank you."

Professor McGonagall smiled and sat back down in her chair. Students around the Great Hall starting chatting animatedly again, and most of the older students were talking about the Yule Ball. Astoria grinned to herself. She'd have to ask Professor McGonagall if she could invite somebody from outside the castle. As she was thinking about how much fun she'd have with Draco, she heard Garrett clear his throat across the table. She put her book down and looked at him.

"So, the Yule Ball, huh?" Garrett said, "Should be fun."

"Yes," Astoria said, "It should be."

Garrett nodded and looked back down at his food. Astoria smiled and looked back at her book.

"Er... Astoria?" Garrett said, in a small voice, "Would you –?"

He sighed and blushed.

"Hmm?" Astoria asked, turning a page of her book, "Did you say something, Garrett?"

"Would you – you know," Garrett stammered, "Er – would you be interested in coming to the Yule Ball with me?"

Astoria's eyes widened, and the words in her book became blurry. She hadn't even been aware Garrett had taken a fancy to her. Though... it did explain a few things. Garrett had rushed to sit down with Astoria at the first Potions Class of the year. He always sat across the table from her in the Great Hall. And it did explain why he might have been avoiding her other than during Potions Class. He must have been shy around her.

Astoria looked at Garrett, who grinned at her.

"Oh," Astoria said, "Er – I'm sorry, Garrett. I'd love to – but – you see, I'm planning on asking somebody else."

Garrett's grin suddenly faltered and disappeared.

"There's another student you fancy?" he asked, "Okay. I should have seen that coming."

"He's not a student," Astoria said, "He was, but he graduated last year. I'm planning on asking McGonagall if I can invite him for the dance."

"Oh, so you've been going with this guy for quite a while," Garrett said.

"Yeah," Astoria said, "Quite a while."

"Oh," Garrett said, "Okay, that's cool. Brilliant."

"I'm sorry," Astoria said.

"It's fine," Garrett said.

"You're a wonderful guy, Garrett," Astoria said, "You should ask someone else. I'm sure there are quite a few girls who would love to go with you."

"Yeah," Garrett said, "Yes – maybe I'll do that."

"Good luck," Astoria said, smiling.

Garrett nodded and looked back down at his food.

After dinner, Astoria walked over to Professor McGonagall, who was still sitting at the Professor's table.

"Er – Headmistress?" Astoria said.

Professor McGonagall looked up.

"Yes, Miss Greengrass?" she asked.

"I was wondering," she said, "well – the person I want to ask to the Yule Ball. He's not a student – well he was last year. I was wanting permission to ask him to come to the Yule Ball."

Professor McGonagall gave a rare smile.

"May I ask who this particular gentleman is?" she asked.

"Draco Malfoy, ma'am," Astoria said.

Professor McGonagall raised her eyebrows at Astoria, and Astoria wasn't sure of her answer. She then smiled and nodded.

"Yes, Miss Greengrass," she said, "You have my permission to invite him."

"Thank you, Headmistress," Astoria said.

"You're welcome," McGonagall said, "Good evening."

Astoria grinned and happily walked out of the Great Hall and headed for the Slytherin Common Room. She wondered what Draco was doing at this moment, and how excited he would be to receive her invitation for the Yule Ball.

-  
**(Draco's PoV)**

Astoria probably would have never guessed that, at that moment, Draco was currently hiding out in a small cave near Hogsmeade. He had been living there ever since the day after he had left Hermione in the Shrieking Shack. He had stayed at the Hog's Head for the rest of that day, but he didn't know what he was going to do next. He had thoughts of going back to his and Pansy's house, but how would he explain his actions about why he broke the eavesdropping mirror? He had done it so Pansy wouldn't eavesdrop on Ron and Hermione anymore. He had already planned out the whole conversation with Hermione in his head, before he talked to her. If she was going to talk to Ron about their conversation, Draco didn't want Pansy to hear them. So he had broken the mirror to make sure.

The morning after he met with Hermione, he went back to the house. But what he found, he did not expect. The house had been barricaded by protective enchantments by the Ministry itself. When he had looked inside the house, it was completely empty. Something had happened at the house, and now Pansy was no longer there. At first, he thought of returning to Malfoy Manor, but his parents would have asked questions he couldn't answer.

Plus, if anyone came looking for him, he didn't want to be there. He didn't know how Ron and Harry would react to him confronting Hermione, nor if they could convince the Ministry to call off the search for him.

He had thoughts of searching for Pansy, or going to Daphne and Blaise's flat in London, but those thoughts were wiped out thanks to his actions in Hogsmeade the day he found that his old residence was now vacated...

_Flashback:_

_Draco apparated back into Hogsmeade, wondering what he was going to do. The house that had been his home, though not a particular one, for the past month was now vacant and quarantined by the Ministry of Magic. He refused to go back to his parents' house, because he knew they would ask questions, and he couldn't answer them. He decided he would just stay in Hogsmeade for now. Aberforth Dumbledore wouldn't mind if he rented a room for a while. He needed the service to fuel his retirement funds. _

_Draco decided he would think over what to do, over a good meal. He went to the Three Broomsticks and took a seat. Hannah Abbot walked up to him._

_"Thought you'd be gone already," Hannah said, "Hogsmeade Weekend is over."_

_"Decided I might stay around here for a while," Draco said._

_"What can I get you to eat?" Hannah asked._

_"Fish and chips," Draco said, "And a Butterbeer."_

_"Coming up," Hannah said._

_Draco thanked Hannah. He then stood up and walked over to the men's restroom. A couple of minutes later, when he walked out, he saw Pansy Parkinson walk into the Three Broomsticks. Draco did the first thing he could think of... he bolted back into the restroom. He then opened the door slightly._

_"Hey, Abbot!" Pansy's voice said, "Have you seen Draco around here lately?"_

_It was a very tense moment for Draco. Did Hannah know that Draco didn't want to talk to Pansy right now? Or would she reveal to Pansy that Draco was in the area._

_"Haven't seen him lately," Hannah said._

_"Thank you, Hannah!" Draco whispered._

_"I know he was here for Hogsmeade weekend," Pansy said, "You must have seen him then?"_

_"Oh, yeah," Hannah said, "Yep. I saw him on Saturday. I know he rented a room at Aberforth's bar for the night. But haven't seen him since."_

_"You better be telling me the truth, Abbot," Pansy said._

_Draco heard the door to the Three Broomsticks open and close, and he chanced walking out. He could see the back of Pansy's head as she headed up the street for the Hog's Head. When Hannah saw him, he nodded and put a finger to his lips._

_"I'll take a rain check on that meal," he said in a low voice, "Thanks for lying to her."_

_"It was easy," Hannah said, "Never liked her too much."_

_Draco grinned and walked toward the door of the bar. He looked up the road, and saw Pansy turning toward the direction of the Hog's Head. Draco walked in a quick, but stealthy pace toward the Hog's Head. When he arrived, he ducked under one of the filthy windows and listened for any voices._

_"... seen Draco Malfoy lately?" Pansy's voice said._

_"Er..." Aberforth Dumbledore's low voice said, "Yeah... yeah, I have!"_

_Draco narrowed his eyes._

_"He said he was off to the Shrieking Shack or something like that," Aberforth said._

_Draco grinned. Aberforth must have appreciated Draco's business to do a straight up lie like that. He heard more footsteps and then bolted around the corner of the building. He stood up against a wall and peered around it. Pansy was walking toward the direction of the Shrieking Shack._

_"She is not going to give up, is she?" Draco whispered._

_He thought about what he could do. He could apparate away, and hope Pansy didn't find him. Or he could confront her and find out what she was doing._

_"Ah, to hell with it," Draco said._

_He waited until he saw Pansy disappear down the path to the Shrieking Shack, then followed her. He managed to stay behind Pansy without her noticing him. She walked toward the Shrieking Shack, and over to the front door. Pansy pointed her wand at the door, and it opened. She then disappeared inside._

_Draco thought about what he could do. He wanted to confront her, but he needed to surprise her. As he was thinking of what to do, Pansy walked out of the shack, and the way she was going, she was walking right toward him. He knew it was now or never._

_He took his wand from his pocket and stepped out into the open._

_"Hello, Pansy," Draco said._

_Pansy's eyes widened when she saw him._

_"Happy to see me?" Draco asked._

_"I've been looking for you," Pansy said, "Daphne's not very happy with you. She didn't take you coming here to meet up with her sister very well. Also, she wants to know why you broke the mirror. I'm a little keen on finding that out myself too."_

_"Worried I will have seven years bad luck or something?" Draco said, "How sweet of you. Breaking the mirror was an accident. It fell off the table and shattered. Sorry that I didn't tell you before I came here. Guess I had too many thoughts on my mind. You know... I went by the house earlier. Did you have a touch of bad luck?"_

_"Had to get out of there," Pansy said. "Potter and Weasley were coming, and we were out of Polyjuice Potion."_

_"Way to go," Draco said._

_"Daphne wants me to bring you back to her," Pansy said, "Are you going to come quietly with me?"_

_"I don't know," Draco said, "I kind of like it out here. Change of scenery from that cramped old house we've been in."_

_"You realize if you don't come with me," Pansy said, "Daphne will tell Astoria what you've been doing."_

_Draco narrowed his eyes. He twirled his wand in his fingers._

_"Oh, the shame Astoria would feel if she found out," Pansy taunted. "Her perfect man... back with the bad guys again. The poor girl would have quite the broken heart over it."_

_"Don't talk about Astoria like that, Pansy," Draco said._

_"Or you'll do what?" Pansy said._

_Draco smirked._

_"Stupefy!" he yelled._

_"Protego!" Pansy said, waving her wand,_

_"Expelliarmus!" Draco and Pansy both said._

_Their wands both left their hands, and met in the middle, then hit each other and fell to the ground. Draco and Pansy raced toward their wands. Draco dived toward his and picked it up, then rolled out of the way. Pansy bent down to pick hers up._

_"Stupefy!" Draco yelled._

_The spell hit Pansy head-on and Pansy fell over, stunned._

_Draco picked himself up off the ground and walked over to her. He stared at her and wondered what he should do with her. He then realized he had only one choice. He had to make sure Pansy forgot about him being here, or talking to him. But could he remove the memories clearly enough without hurting her? He had never done the spell before._

_He pictured in his mind what he wanted Pansy to forget and pointed his wand at her._

_"Obliviate," Draco said._

_Pansy's eyes, open, though unseeing, went blank and out of focus. Draco knew his spell had worked. He decided he would leave her there and let her wake up on her own. The Stunning Spell would wear off after a while._

_He walked away from Pansy, and weighed his options. He needed to hide somewhere where nobody would find him. He couldn't go to Hogsmeade, because he was sure somebody would look for him there. He then realized the perfect spot. There was a cave that he, Crabbe and Goyle had gone to when they had explored a path during one of their trips to Hogsmeade. It would provide the perfect shelter while he thought of something else to do. He went to Hogsmeade and bought some groceries that he could easily prepare using a fire, then headed for the cave. _

_Flashback ends..._

Draco had been in the cave a week now. It was peaceful, though it reminded him of the boring solitude he had at the safe-house. Ever since he went to the cave, he had been back in Hogsmeade twice, to wash up and get a few more supplies. He figured he could live there for a while, though he knew the risks involved.

Ever since he had stunned Pansy, he wondered the repercussions it would cause him. Had Daphne contacted her sister yet? Had she revealed everything about him? He hadn't gotten another letter from her yet. He was sure her owl could find her in the cave.

Then, suddenly, just as he was thinking of Astoria's owl, he heard a hoot in the night... and it was very close by. He walked out of the cave, looking around, and a roll of parchment dropped at his feet. He looked down at it, then picked it up and looked up in the air. Astoria's owl was flying around in a circle above him.

"Am I glad to see you!" Draco said, "Stay here a minute."

He returned inside the cave, then took his wand from his pocket.

"Lumos," he said.

He then read Astoria's letter:

_Draco,_

_Sorry I haven't written for the past week. Been extremely busy with homework. I have so much that I am so tired when I go to bed. But I had to write you today. Guess what! Professor McGonagall announced tonight that there is going to be a Yule Ball on Friday, the 18th of December... my last day before Christmas break. Can you please come and enjoy the night with me? McGonagall gave you permission to come. Please say yes!_

_Love you,_  
_Astoria_

Draco grinned. The Yule Ball... dancing with Astoria. He could see it now. His eyes sparkled at the thought. He dug into his supplies and found a quill and ink. He then wrote on the bottom of the letter:

_Astoria,_

_I accept your invitation. Of course I'll go with you! See you then. I've been pretty busy myself. So if you don't hear from me, don't worry. I'm completely fine._

_Miss you. See you on the 18th. Can't wait._

_Draco_

Draco walked back out of the cave and called down the owl. He then attached the note to the owl's leg. The owl flew off. He watched it until it disappeared into the night. He then walked down the path from the cave. Ever since he had come to the cave, would take this walk every night.

At the end of the path, he could see Hogsmeade in the not-so-far distance, and then Hogwarts far behind it, the lights in the castle twinkling in the night. As he did every night, he wondered if Astoria realized at that very moment if he was thinking of her, and he prayed that she never found out about the misdeeds he had done over the past couple of months.

December 18th. The Yule Ball. Could he really stay in the cave and around Hogsmeade until then? As he gazed toward Hogsmeade, he nodded to himself. He would, at least, attempt to stay there. If only for Astoria. _  
_

_-  
_**This chapter was a little short, but I only wanted Astoria and Draco's part in this.**

**By the way, if you are wondering. The cave Draco is at is the same one that Sirius was hiding in, during the Goblet of Fire book.**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	56. A Walk To Remember

**Chapter 56  
A Walk To Remember**

**Author's Note: I was recently asked why my story is titled Butterfly Kisses. Thought I'd explain that for everyone if you are curious. ****The title, Butterfly Kisses, is inspired by one of my favorite songs ever, with the same name. "Butterfly Kisses" by Bob Carlisle. It is a Father/Daughter wedding song. I might use the title for a chapter near the end of the story. When I originally started writing the story, I was only going to be pretty much focused on Ron and Hermione's wedding, so that is why I used that title. Then I came up with this big storyline with Daphne's rogue group.**

**I've had some requests for just a calm chapter or two, away from all the seriousness of the storyline, with just focusing on the relationship of Ron and Hermione, and Harry and Ginny. So I've decided to do a couple of chapters with just that.**

**For those who really like the serious storyline, do not worry... if you paid attention to details in the previous chapter, you might know when the serious storyline comes to its big bang. And it will be big, I assure you.**

**Because I've been skipping around quite a bit in time, I'll explain where we are chronologically in this story. Much of this chapter will take place on a Sunday, one week after Draco confronted Hermione and the events that led to Hermione and Ron moving back to the Burrow, and the day after Draco received Astoria's invitation to the Yule Ball. **

**Q&A time:**

**Q: If you are planning to be true to canon, I know that I should not fret, but I am so concerned about Draco risking his relationship with Astoria. Does he trust her enough to tell her the truth about his actions and motivation? **

**A: Unfortunately if I answered this, it would give away the end to their part of this story. You'll just have to find out what happens! **

****

(Hermione's PoV)

Novembers in England, and especially around Ottery St. Catchpole, usually brought an early start to the harsh winters, but not that morning. When Hermione woke up in Ron's bedroom, to her alarm clock, on the first Sunday of November, the sun was barely starting to come over the horizon, but there were no clouds in the sky that hinted to any early arrival of winter weather. In fact, it looked like it was going to be a beautiful day.

Ron was fast asleep, snoring, when Hermione opened her eyes and smacked her alarm clock before it could get past the first buzzing sound. She gently moved his arm from around her and stood up, then crept over to the door. She opened the door and lifted the Muffliato Charm over it, then crept down the stairs toward Ginny's room. She had done this routine every day for the past week and, so far, Mrs. Weasley seemed to have noticed nothing.

As soon as Hermione opened the door, she heard footsteps at the bottom of the stairs.

"Hermione?" Mrs. Weasley's voice called from down the stairs, "are you awake, dear?"

Hermione frowned. She had planned to get a couple more hours of sleep, but that seemed out of the question now.

"Just now, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said, sighing.

"Well, come on downstairs," Mrs. Weasley, "I'd like to talk to you about something."

Hermione's eyes widened. Had Mrs. Weasley found out where she was sleeping every night? She inhaled, exhaled, and walked downstairs, into the kitchen, where Mrs. Weasley was pouring hot tea a couple of mugs.

"Good morning, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said.

"Would you like some morning tea, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Yes, please," Hermione said.

"Not a cloud in the sky," Mrs. Weasley said, looking out the window, "I'm sure today is going to beautiful day. Can't get too many of those around this time of year. Might want to make the most of it."

"I might do just that, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said.

"Oh, just call me Molly, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, "We're as good as family already."

Hermione grinned and blushed. Mrs. Weasley smiled as she set down two mugs of tea on the table. Hermione took a sip of hers. It was tasty.

"My own brew," Mrs. Weasley said, smacking her lips politely in apparent delight of the tea, "I grow the herbs myself."

"I didn't know that," Hermione said.

"Oh, one of my many secrets," Mrs. Weasley said, waving her hands dismissively. "Arthur works on – whatever those things are – and I work in my garden."

"I think you and my Mum will get along quite well, Molly," Hermione said, grinning.

"Well, that is actually one of the things I wanted to talk to you about," Mrs. Weasley said. "I had a few ideas for your wedding, and I'm sure your parents would greatly appreciate them."

"Oh?" Hermione asked.

"First I have one question for you," Mrs. Weasley said. "How many members of your side of the family are you planning on inviting to the wedding?"

Hermione sighed and looked at her tea.

"Unfortunately, only my parents," she said.

Mrs. Weasley's expression grew soft.

"My relatives have no knowledge of the fact that I am a witch," Hermione said. "Most of the time, I don't even really talk to them. When my magical abilities started to show up, I was kind of an outcast. My parents kept me away from my relatives at first, because they didn't know what was going on, and it scared them. When it was revealed that I was a witch, it was decided that my relatives would be kept oblivious of that part of me. Over time I realized that it was the best idea, in order to not risk the Statute of Secrecy."

"Oh, my dear, I had no idea," Mrs. Weasley said, "That must be so awful. Family is a huge part of life."

"I'm okay with it, Molly," Hermione said, "I'll soon be a part of the most wonderful family in my world."

Mrs. Weasley smiled.

"So, to answer your question on whom I am will invite," Hermione said. "I think the only people, other than my parents, I will invite is my closest friends from Hogwarts."

"I'm sure they'll love an invitation," Mrs. Weasley said, "Now to my idea. I'm sure you wouldn't be surprised to find out that this is the first wedding I've ever been a part of that is between a pureblood and someone with Muggle parents."

"Not at all, Molly," Hermione said, grinning.

"So," Mrs. Weasley said, "You can understand that this is quite new to me, and with my personality, it is actually quite exciting to think about!"

She chuckled softly and her cheeks went pink.

"Since this wedding," she continued, "is going to unite a pureblood family with a Muggle-born witch and her Muggle family, I thought we could center your wedding around that idea. It would still be a wizard wedding, but we could add a few Muggle-centered ideas into the wedding, just so your parents don't feel too left out. Being a parent who has already watched two of her children walk down the aisle, I understand just how much that day will mean to your parents."

Hermione grinned and her eyes sparkled with tears.

"I love that idea, Molly," Hermione said, "And I am sure they would too."

"That is where you come in, of course," Mrs. Weasley said, "If you can give me a few suggestions, I'm sure I'll have no problem putting them together."

"I'll start thinking of those right away," Hermione said, "And maybe I could invite my parents over before too long and you could talk to them. They know more about weddings than I do. I've been to more wizard weddings than Muggle weddings to be honest."

"That would be a lovely idea," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Is that all you wished to talk about?" Hermione asked, "I haven't taken a shower, and my days don't usually feel right if I don't start out with one."

It was a very tense moment. The look on Mrs. Weasley's face, told Hermione she wanted to talk about something else, but Mrs. Weasley just shrugged and shook her head.

"That is all," she said, "Thank you, Hermione."

Hermione smiled and drank the rest of her tea in one gulp, then stood up and walked out of the kitchen. She exhaled and closed her eyes, relieved. For a moment there, Hermione really thought Mrs. Weasley was going to tell her she knew where she was sleeping at night.

Half-an-hour later, as Hermione was getting dressed after a relaxing shower, there was a knock on her door.

"Hermione?" Ron's voice called.

"Door's open," Hermione said.

The door opened a bit.

"Are you decent?" Ron asked.

Hermione pulled her shirt over head.

"You've seen me in far less than this, Ron," Hermione said, grinning.

Ron opened the door and walked in.

"I was going to go for a walk around the lot," Ron said, "It is really nice today, and I need the exercise."

"Before breakfast?" Hermione asked.

"I used to do this a lot," Ron said, "So I think I can manage."

"Sounds wonderful," Hermione said, "Besides, I need to talk to you about something."

Hermione put on her shoes. She walked over to the door, and followed Ron out of the room. They walked downstairs.

"Going somewhere?" Mrs. Weasley asked, as they walked toward the door.

"Just a jog around the lot, Mum," Ron said, "We'll be back before breakfast."

"Have fun, dears," Mrs. Weasley said.

Hermione and Ron smiled and walked out of the house. Hermione walked hand-in-hand with Ron as they headed across up the driveway. When they arrived at the top of the driveway, Ron turned and they started off on the edge of the lot.

"So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" Ron asked.

"I think your Mum knows I sleep in your room every night," Hermione said.

Ron stopped in his tracks and looked at her.

"Did she talk to you about it?" Ron asked.

"No," Hermione said, shaking her head, "But she might have planned on doing so, then stopped herself at the last minute. I saw this look in her eyes."

"Maybe she doesn't know then," Ron said.

"Or she does," Hermione said, "And she's fine with it."

"Even better," Ron said, grinning.

Ron resumed his walk, and Hermione rolled her eyes, and caught up with him.

"Yes, but Ron," she said, taking his hand, "When has your Mum ever been fine with that?"

"Hermione, she knows we're getting married in seven months," Ron said.

"She wasn't very comfortable," Hermione said, "with the thought of Bill and Fleur sharing his room just a week before their wedding."

"She likes you more than Fleur," Ron said, grinning, "Besides, I think she must suspect something. I mean, we lived together in our own house for a while. She's been to the house, remember? She knows there was one bedroom. Perhaps I was wrong and she realized how unhappy we would be if she kept us from sharing a bed. We're not exactly doing much more than sleeping anyway, you know."

"Oho!" Hermione exclaimed, "I'm not letting your poor Mum have to go through the thought of that just yet. Even if we used the Muffliato Charm."

Ron frowned.

"These seven months are going to be so long," he said, frowning, "Remind me again why we picked a spring day?"

"Well, for one it would guarantee a beautiful wedding," Hermione said.

"That it would," Ron said.

"There's no wizarding superstition about Spring or May weddings is there?" Hermione asked.

"No," Ron said, chuckling, "If there was, do you think I'd be so in agreement with the thought of the timing of our wedding?"

"You just said the wait was going to be so long," Hermione said.

"It is!" Ron said, "I mean... it isn't going to be unbearably long, but..."

Ron sighed and stopped in his tracks again.

"Blimey, Hermione," he said, "Do you know how long I've pictured the thought of you walking down the aisle toward me?"

Hermione blushed and shook her head.

"A lot longer than our engagement, believe me," Ron said. "Back when – you know – when the thought of you and me was just a pipe-dream to me, I'd picture it. The night of the Yule Ball, when you walked into the Great Hall, in that brilliant dress, arm in arm with Viktor Krum... I... that is kind of what I see in my head when I see you walking down the aisle on our wedding day."

"The Yule Ball?" she asked chuckling.

"When I think of the year-and-a-half we've been together," Ron said, "I think of about how we've known each other for over nine years now. It kind of saddens to me think that we've been friends for that long, and it took us almost seven years to realize our feelings for each other. There have been quite a few times during this past year and a half, where I wondered about things. I wondered if I knew back during the time of the Yule Ball, what I now know, and I ended up going to the Yule Ball with you that night instead of with Padma Patil, then what would have happened. I wondered if next month would be our fifth anniversary, instead of a year and a half."

Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but Ron put his hand up.

"But then I thought of how many fights we've had since the Yule Ball," Ron said. "We've had quite a few too. And I wondered if our relationship could have survived that. What I'm trying to say is... I waited for this moment for five – hell – seven years, and that is a bloody long time, Hermione. I think I can manage seven more months."

Hermione grinned and felt tears in her eyes. She took Ron's hands back in hers.

"But you have to promise me one thing, Hermione," Ron said.

"Anything," Hermione replied, grinning.

"If I'm going to wait seven more months," Ron said, "You better not walk like a flobberworm down that aisle on our wedding day."

Hermione laughed. She leaned in toward Ron and kissed him deeply on the lips.

"I promise," she said.

-  
During their walk, Hermione and Ron ended up at the lake. They decided it was too early to swim, and both needed a good meal before they even thought it was swimming. On their way back to the Burrow, they decided to see if Harry and Ginny were doing anything, or if they wanted to join them for a swim. So as soon as they returned, Ron wrote a letter to Harry and Ginny and sent Pig off to London. A couple of hours later, Pig returned, exhausted, but with a note from Harry that said he and Ginny would be there at noon.

Hermione and Ron were in the kitchen discussing wedding plans with Mrs. Weasley, when Harry and Ginny arrived right at noon, like promised. Hermione walked up with Ginny to her bedroom to get ready to swim.

"Guess what, Hermione?" Ginny asked, as she slipped into her bikini.

"Hmm? Hermione asked.

"You know what we talked about last time I was here?" Ginny asked, "About Harry and I?"

"Yeah," Hermione said, slowly.

"He asked me last night," Ginny said. "I think he was just trying to cheer me up after my Quidditch match."

"What did you say?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, of course," Ginny said, "I'm not thick or anything!"

Hermione chuckled.

"Did you do anything besides cuddle up and fall asleep in each other's arms?" she asked.

Ginny's face turned bright pink.

"Yes," she said, "And that is all I'll say."

"Good," Hermione said, "I don't think I need to know more than that."

"Promise you won't tell Ron?" Ginny asked, "Harry's not too thrilled at the thought of his mate finding out, and I don't need to deal with anymore of my brother's insecurities about my life."

"Relax," Hermione said, "I think I can keep that quiet. Though, you know... he'd probably be okay with it."

"You've talked about it already?" Ginny asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Not exactly," Hermione said, "I was just trying to ease him into the thought that it was bound to happen sooner or later."

"How did that work out?" Ginny asked.

"Better than I imagined," Hermione said.

"Wow," Ginny said, "That's a little shocking."

"He knows Harry wouldn't do anything to upset you," Hermione said. "Honestly, he is happy for you two. No matter how hard that might be for you to believe."

"I should give him more credit sometimes," Ginny said.

Hermione grinned. A few minutes later, they met Ron and Harry back downstairs. A large picnic basket was sitting on the kitchen table.

"Mum made us lunch," Ron said, nodding to the basket.

"Well, I imagined you willy be swimming for a few hours," Mrs. Weasley said, "I would hate for you to go hungry just because you are enjoying yourselves."

"Thank you, Molly," Hermione said.

Ron raised an eyebrow at Hermione, and she shook her head.

"It is no big deal," Mrs. Weasley said, "Enjoy your swim, dears."

Ron took the picnic basket, and Hermione followed him out the door. Harry and Ginny tailed behind them a few feet.

"Since when do you call my Mum by her first name?" Ron muttered.

"Since this morning," Hermione said. "She said that I'm basically family and deserve that privilege."

"Nice of her," Ron said.

Hermione smiled and took Ron's free hand, and the four of them walked off toward the lake.

-  
**Decided to make you have to wait for the rest! The continuation of this day is coming up next! And it will probably be in two PoVs so I can have some scenes with each couple. Again, this and the following chapter are just a break from the serious storyline. The calm before the storm, you could call it, since I will be focusing on the big events very soon! **

**Hope you liked this chapter! **


	57. Swimming and Snogging

**Chapter 57  
Swimming and Snogging**

**(Harry's PoV)  
**

Harry and Ginny lagged behind Ron and Hermione a bit, as they headed for the lake for an afternoon swim. Hermione was laughing at something Ron was saying, though their Harry couldn't hear what they were saying.

"Hermione knows," Ginny said quietly.

"About what?" Harry asked.

"Do you have to ask?" Ginny said, glancing out of the corners of her eyes.

"You told her?" Harry asked. "Geez, what will you girls not talk about?"

Ginny chuckled and shook her head.

"She promised she wouldn't tell Ron," she said.

"She probably knows how he would how he'd react," Harry said. "She's the one that has to deal with him, so I'm sure she'd prefer to keep it silent."

"She thinks Ron wouldn't be too hard on us about it," Ginny said.

"Right," Harry scoffed, "This is Ron, we're talking about. I still haven't forgotten him barging in on us on my seventeenth birthday."

"We weren't exactly a couple that day either, Harry," Ginny said.

"'Not exactly' couples don't snog each other senseless in bedrooms, Ginny," Harry said.

"You didn't snog me senseless," Ginny said.

"I would have if he hadn't barged in," Harry said, with a smirk.

Ginny grinned.

"Oh really?" she asked.

"Mmhmm," Harry said.

"Since when did you become so open about expressing your feelings around me," Ginny asked, "You've always been so quiet about that."

"Since I don't have to hide anything from you anymore," Harry said.

"If you're talking about last night," Ginny began.

"Of course I am!" Harry said, "It felt like I poured out my soul last night."

"That's a nice translation of what we did," Ginny said.

"Well, what do you expect me to say?" Harry asked, "While you were falling to sleep in my arms, I laid there wondering why it took me six years – over six years! – of knowing you to realize what you basically knew straight off."

"You give me too much credit," Ginny said, "Back then I was afraid it was nothing more than a schoolgirl crush. If you would have told me back then that at this very moment I'd be engaged to you, and what we went through last night, I would have asked if you were taking the mickey out of me."

Harry laughed.

"Oi!" Ron said, "Are you two coming, or are you going to keep talking?"

Harry realized that he and Ginny were walking so slow, that Ron and Hermione were quite a few yards ahead of them.

"Yeah, yeah," Harry said, "Keep your swim trunks on."

Ginny snickered. Ron shook his head, turned and continued walking.

"You know, Ginny," Harry said, looking at Ron, "I think Hermione might be right. Ron might be used to seeing the two of us together."

"You think?" Ginny asked.

"Sure," Harry said, "If he wasn't, he'd probably find a way to pull me ahead away from you."

"If he did that, I'd hex him," Ginny said.

Harry grinned.

Ron was jumping from the dock into the lake when Harry and Ginny reached it. Hermione was setting down the towels and a large picnic blanket that Mrs. Weasley had packed into the basket.

Harry took off his shirt and shoes, and stowed his wand inside one of the shoes. He then waded into the lake. The water was a little chilly, thanks to the lack of sun over the past couple of weeks. Just as he was trying to get used to the water, a large splash of water hit him from behind. The force made Harry fall into the water, so that his whole body was submerged. He resurfaced to find Ginny grinning as she walked through the water over to him. Ron was bellowing with laughter behind him.

On the dock, Hermione walked to the end and dived, with grace, into the lake. She resurfaced behind Ron, who was still looking for her. Hermione grinned and pushed Ron under the water, and he resurfaced moments later.

"Where did you learn to dive like that?" Ron asked.

"I have my secrets," Hermione said, with a smirk.

"I thought Ron already knew most of those," Harry joked.

Hermione narrowed her eyes and sent a large wave toward him with her hand. Harry laughed.

-  
**(Ginny's PoV)**

Nearly an hour passed of swimming and chatting with the others, and Ginny had become quite hungry. She walked out of the lake and over to the blanket. Hermione joined her, and they started making things for sandwiches. Meanwhile, Harry and Ron were racing back and forth in laps.

"Has my Mum been pestering you and Ron about the wedding yet?" Ginny asked, as she started putting together a sandwich. . .

"I wouldn't say she's been pestering us," Hermione said, "She had a pretty good idea this morning."

"Oh?" Ginny asked.

"She thinks the wedding shouldn't be the traditional wizard kind," Hermione said. "She thinks it should be a mix of a magical and Muggle-style. Otherwise, my parents might feel too left out."

"You are their only child, Hermione," Ginny, "This kind of thing is going to only happen once for you, right?"

"Of course," Hermione said, looking out at the lake toward Ron.

"Well then, I think it is a great idea to incorporate something from your Muggle side into the wedding," Ginny said.

"There's something else," Hermione said, looking back down at her sandwich, "Your Mum looked like she was trying to ask me something this morning, and I guess she decided against it But I think I know what it was."

"What was it?'" Ginny asked.

Hermione sighed and looked at Ron, then over to Ginny.

"Ron and I have been keeping a little secret from your Mum since we moved back in," Hermione said. "Let's just say... I don't sleep in your bedroom at night, like she thinks I do."

"You sneak into Ron's bedroom every night," Ginny said.

Hermione nodded.

"And – well," she said, "I don't know how your mother would react to that. If it was what she wanted to ask me this morning, why would she stop herself. Unless – you know – she's okay with it."

Ginny laughed and shook her head.

"If she's okay with it, then she must love you, Hermione," she said.

"Do you think she knows it is something Ron and I have been doing for a while?" Hermione asked, "And that is why she seems okay with it?"

"That and she knows you're going to be her daughter-in-law pretty soon," Ginny said.

Hermione nodded.

"Maybe I should just tell her," Hermione said. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"Knowing my Mum?" Ginny asked, raising her eyebrows.

"I see your point," Hermione said.

"If you think it will help," Ginny said, "Tell her Ron isn't the only one of her youngest children sharing a bed."

"Oho!" Hermione laughed, "No thank you! I'm not scaring your Mum twice is one conversation."

Ginny chuckled. She took a bite out of her sandwich, then sighed and looked out onto the lake.

"Wrong flavor?" Hermione asked, before biting into her own sandwich.

"I'm just thinking about tomorrow," Ginny said, "I gotta go back to the first Quidditch practice after our loss. That's not going to be fun."

"I imagine Gwenog won't be too hard on you," Hermione said, "You need – what – one more win to get into the playoffs? I bet she already knows you can get that."

"I hope so," Ginny said, "We play the Wimbourne Wasps in less than two weeks. They're favorites for the Cup, haven't lost a match this season, and are already in the playoffs."

"Ouch," Hermione said.

"Indeed," Ginny said, "How's work on your end?"

"Not too much happening right now," Hermione said, "Last couple of weeks have been quite boring to be honest. We've had three cases in two weeks and each took one day of planning, and one day in front of the Wizengamot. We won two of them, and the other one is going to a re-trial, though we can't work on it. Other than that, I've had quite a bit of time to work on wedding plans. I've even started my part of the guest list, though most of my guests are fellow students and Professors."

"Are you inviting Viktor Krum?" Ginny asked.

Hermione smirked and shook her head.

"I couldn't do that to him," Hermione said, motioning to Ron.

Hermione finished her sandwich and walked back toward the lake, just as Harry was walking out. Over on the dock, Ron was going through a large wooden chest. He pulled out a large self-inflating raft and threw it into the lake. As it hit the water, it inflated on its own and floated on top of the water. Ron them jumped back into the water.

"Hungry?" Ginny asked Harry.

"Starving," Harry said, crawling onto the blanket, toward Ginny. "But that can wait."

He leaned toward Ginny and kissed her.

"What about Ron?" Ginny said, in mid-kiss.

"I'm sure Hermione will distract him," Harry said, grinning.

Ginny smiled and leaned back toward Harry to kiss him. The force of her kiss, made Harry fall back onto the blanket. She grinned and moved toward him.

"I love you, Harry," Ginny said.

"I love you too, Ginny," Harry said.

Ginny grinned and kissed him again. She allowed his tongue in and she swept hers against it.

-  
**(Ron's PoV – a couple minutes earlier)**

Ron threw the raft into the lake, dove in the water, and swam toward it. When he surfaced, he climbed into the raft. Hermione swam over to him, and leaned up on the raft.

"Room for two?" she asked.

"Get up here," he said, grinning.

As Hermione crawled up onto the raft, Ron's eyes were averted elsewhere. On the shore, he saw Harry talking to Ginny, and moving closer to her.

"Don't pay attention to them," Hermione said.

"They look very comfortable over there," Ron said.

"They're in love, Ron," Hermione said, "They can do whatever they want."

Ron opened his mouth to say something to Harry and Ginny, but Hermione playfully slapped his arm.

"Ow," Ron muttered.

"You deserve it," Hermione said, "Let them be. You don't see Ginny yelling at us, do you?"

"No," Ron said.

"Or Harry telling his two best mates to behave?" Hermione asked.

"I think he's too occupied," Ron said.

"Be happy for them," Hermione said, "They've done nothing we haven't done."

Ron narrowed his eyes. Did she mean –?

"Except for that," Hermione said, quickly, though she averted her eyes.

"You'd tell me if Ginny told you about that, right?" Ron asked.

Hermione sighed.

"Probably," she said, "Unless she asked me not to."

"Why would she do that?" Ron asked.

"Maybe," Hermione said, "because she knows how you usually act around her and Harry when it comes to their relationship."

"She's my little sister, Hermione," Ron said.

"Who's not exactly little anymore, Ron," Hermione said.

Ron frowned.

"You trust Harry," Hermione said, "Right?"

"Of course," Ron said, "He's my best mate."

"Do you trust him with her?" Hermione asked.

"I've said before that I do," Ron said.

"Then be happy for them," Hermione said, "Even if they choose to move to that step of their relationship. It is going to happen sooner or later."

"Fine," Ron said, sighing, "But if he hurts -"

"Ronald!" Hermione interrupted him, "Do you honestly think he'd ever do anything to hurt your sister?"

"No," Ron said.

"Then be happy for them," Hermione said.

"Okay, I'm happy for them," Ron said.

"Good," Hermione said.

She crawled closer to Ron and kissed him softly. Ron grinned against her lips and returned the kiss. Ron then backed up and sighed.

"So how long has it been?" Ron asked.

"How long since what?" Hermione asked.

"You know what," Ron said.

Hermione closed her eyes and put her head against the raft.

"Am I that obvious?" Hermione asked.

"Tell me, Hermione," Ron muttered.

"Last night," she said. "Okay? Ginny was upset because she lost her Quidditch match, and Harry cheered her up and things led to that. That is all I know."

Ron sighed looked up at the sky.

"What are you thinking about?" Hermione asked.

"Why didn't Harry tell me?" Ron asked, "We were getting dressed to come down here, and he had this look in his eyes. When I noticed it, he looked away."

"Maybe because the last time you caught them doing something you had a problem with," Hermione said, "You took the mickey out of him."

Ron looked at Hermione and raised his eyebrows. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Harry's seventeenth birthday," she said, "Ginny's room?"

"They weren't together that day, Hermione," Ron said.

"They were obviously very much in love even then," Hermione said. "They were only apart, because Harry didn't want her to go through missing him that much when we were away hunting for the Horcruxes. And he couldn't take the thought of how she would react if something would happen to him.

"She'd still feel the same way either way," Ron said.

"Do you obviously think Harry thought about that?" Hermione asked.

"I guess not," Ron said.

Hermione nodded.

"Okay," Ron said, "Maybe I can overreact a little. But I'm his best mate."

"And she's your sister," Hermione said, "If it was me, I'd be scared of you too."

Ron grinned.

"Are you going to tell them I told you?" Hermione asked.

"No," Ron said, shaking his head, "I'm not going to do that to you or them."

Hermione nodded. She then growled and put her head back into the raft.

"What?" Ron asked.

"Nothing," Hermione's muffled voice said.

Ron leaned over to her and kissed her hair.

"You can tell me," he said.

"I'm a horrible person," Hermione said.

"How could you ever think that?" Ron asked.

"I'm not good at keeping secrets these days," Hermione said, "Ginny trusted me with hers and a couple hours later, it is out. And now I'm thinking there is no way we can keep this secret from your Mum about me in your room every night."

"If it helps, I basically goaded Ginny and Harry's secret out of you," Ron said.

"I still revealed it," Hermione said.

"Do you think we should just tell my Mum then?" Ron asked.

"Well, put it this way," Hermione said, looking over at Ron, "What is she going to do if she finds out, and we don't tell her?"

Ron sighed and shook his head.

"Okay," Ron said, "We'll tell her when we get back."

"No matter what happens, Ron," Hermione said, "I don't regret sneaking up into your room every night."

Ron grinned.

"I never regret one moment of having to listen to that infernal alarm clock," he said.

"Never?" Hermione asked.

"Maybe one moment," Ron said.

Hermione laughed. Ron leaned back to her and kissed her again.

A few hours later, as the sun began to set in the west, the air became rather chilly. Hermione and the others dried off, cleaned up the picnic and headed back the the Burrow.

When they arrived, Ron took Hermione's hand.

"We'll tell her together," Ron said.

Hermione nodded

"Coming, guys?" Harry asked.

Ron nodded and the four of them walked into the Burrow. Ron's parents were sitting at the table, looking for solemn about something. Hermione was about to speak, but Ron squeezed her hand. Hermione looked at him, and he shook his head.

"Mum?" Ginny asked, "Dad? What's wrong?"

"The Minister of Magic is in St. Mungo's," Mr. Weasley said. "He was attacked in his office a couple of hours ago."

-  
**Cliffhanger! I couldn't resist ending this wonderful and light chapter with something to get you back in the seriousness of the story.**

**More to come soon! Hope you liked it!**


	58. Interrogation Tactics

**Chapter 58  
Interrogation Tactics **

**Author's Note: I realized Mr. and Mrs. Weasley weren't exactly doing much at the very end of the last chapter for two people who just got bad news. Should have had them say "Just got the news..." or something. My mistake.**

**Q&A Time:**

**Q: Who is the person that Daphne was in love with that died in the war?**

**A: You'll get that answer before the end of the story.**

**(Ron's PoV)  
**

Ten minutes after they got the news, Ron and Harry were dressed and standing in front of the fireplace at the Burrow.

"I'll be right behind you," Ron said to Harry.

Harry nodded. He walked into the green fire and turned back toward them.

"I'll be back at the house waiting for you, Harry," Ginny said.

"We might be all night, Ginny," Harry said, "Don't wait up for me."

Ginny frowned. She blew him a kiss.

"St. Mungo's!" Harry said, dropping the green powder.

He disappeared in the middle of a large flame. Hermione walked over to Ron and hugged him.

"Be safe," she said.

"I'm sure St. Mungo's will be the safest place this evening, Hermione," Ron said.

"Right," Hermione said.

She kissed Ron softly and backed away.

"See you soon," Ron said.

Ron walked over to his father, who was holding the bag of Floo Powder.

"Give Kingsley our best," Mr. Weasley said.

Ron nodded and took a handful of Floo Powder, then walked into the fireplace. He turned, and looked back at Hermione.

"St. Mungo's!" he said, clearly.

He dropped the powder and felt his feet leave the ground.

A minute later, after spinning through fire and past different grates, he felt his feet land, and he walked into a cloud of soot and dust. When it cleared, he found that the Atrium of St. Mungo's was quite the sight to behold. Ministry officials were walking around, others were talking to each other in rather animated though hushed whispers, and a few Aurors were standing guard at the entrance to the hospital, and near the grates. Harry was waiting for him outside the grates.

"Come on," Harry said, "Hopefully everyone recognizes us as Aurors."

Ron followed Harry to the front desk. Instead of the usual grouchy Welcome Witch, a Ministry official was sitting at the desk.

"Aurors Harry Potter and Ron Weasley reporting in," Harry said.

"Identification?" the official said.

"Er... we left them at the Ministry," Ron said, "We came straight here."

"No problem," the official said, "That's been happening all afternoon. Just need to check your wands."

Harry and Ron set their wands on the desk. The official picked up a long thin golden rod and moved it over the wands. Two slips came out of the rod.

"Identification confirmed," the official said, after reading the slips. "Oh, it seems the two of you are expected tonight. Did you know?"

Ron and Harry shook their heads.

"Apparently the Minister wants to speak to the two of you," the official said.

"Is he – you know – able to speak to us?" Harry asked.

"He's had it quite rough," the official said, "I am lax in details though. All I know is he was attacked, but he fought off his attacker before he succumbed to unconsciousness. He woke up almost half-an-hour ago. It seems he wants to talk to you about it. One moment."

The official handed Ron and Harry two badges.

"This will get you straight to the fourth floor without anyone bothering you," he said. "Don't keep the Minister waiting. He could slip back into unconsciousness."

Ron looked at Harry, who frowned. Harry then walked off and Ron followed him. They reached one of the lifts and soon, the lifts were moving toward the fourth floor.

"How could they get in his office?" Ron asked. "Do you think there's been someone on the inside?"

"We'll find that out, Ron," Harry said, "First we'll see what Kingsley has to say."

Ron nodded. A minute later, the lift opened and they walked out. They showed the guards their badges.

"Room Seven," one of the guards said.

Ron and Harry walked down the hall, though they didn't need to look for the room number. The room was being watched over by four guards. Ron and Harry showed them their badges. The guard closest to the door stared at the badges for the moment, then looked up at them. He reached for the door knob and opened it. Ron followed Harry into the room.

Kingsley was laying on the bed, dressed in a hospital gown. He had bruises on his forehead and on his cheeks, wrappings and bandages on various parts of his body that wasn't covered by the gown, and he looked pretty weak, but when he saw Ron and Harry, he smiled. A female Healer was standing off to the side, with a clipboard in her hand.

"You may go for a little while, Gretchen," Kingsley said, "I am in very capable hands."

Gretchen bowed and walked out of the room.

"Sorry we didn't arrive sooner, Minister," Harry said, "We were – er – swimming."

Kingsley grinned and his bruises on his cheeks became more colored.

"A good swim sounds refreshing right about now," he said.

"It was, sir," Ron said.

"What happened to you, Minister?" Harry asked.

"I was working on some official documents," Kingsley said, "when I heard a racket outside the office. Next thing I know, the door to my office opened and a young man, about your age, walked into my office and pointed his wand at me. He stated 'this is for my father' then sent a Killing Curse toward me. His aiming must have been off, because he hit my desk, tearing it to pieces. Some of my wrappings are from shards of the desk piercing my skin."

Ron grimaced at the picture in his mind.

"I was knocked to the ground, though still conscious," Kingsley said. "I reached for my wand, and the man walked over to me and applied the Cruciatus Curse on me. I've been known to fight through the curse many times, and the young man was not trained too well in it. When he realized I was fighting through it, he applied it again... and again... and again."

"He wasn't trying to kill you?" Harry asked, "I mean – after the first attempt?"

"No," Kingsley said, shaking his head, "And I wondered why. Anyway, he kept talking about his father. He kept repeating 'my father'. While I was fighting the curse, I was reaching for my wand. Just before I blacked out, I was able to get off a spell and it hit him, sending him flying across the room. He was weakened by it, but he was able to get up. He must have been frightened that I'd get up and kill him, because he retreated. As far as I know he was able to escape the Ministry."

"Maybe he was afraid to kill you?" Ron asked.

"I don't think so," Kingsley said. "He had no problem killing the guard who stood outside."

Ron frowned.

"Did he have a family, sir?" Harry asked.

"A wife and two small kids," Kingsley said, his lips quivering with emotion, "I am going to speak to them myself when I am able to."

"Your attacker," Harry said, "Do you know who he was?"

Kingsley muttered something that sounded like "not."

"You don't?" Harry asked.

"His name is Theodore Nott," Kingsley said.

Ron looked at Harry, who looked at him, then back at the Minister.

"He was our fellow classmate," Harry said.

"He told you his name?" Ron asked.

"No," Kingsley said, "But his eyes – I'll never forget those eyes."

He closed his eyes and shuddered. He inhaled and looked back at Ron and Harry.

"They are the same eyes of his father," he said, "whom I killed in battle."

Kingsley frowned and looked away from Ron and Harry. Suddenly, the door burst open. Ron and Harry turned around, pointing their wands at it. A man was standing there, holding up his badge.

"Bloody hell," Ron muttered.

"Don't you know better than to come in here like that?" Harry demanded.

"M-my apologies," the man said, breathless. "Auror Daniels reporting for duty. I have some news – some news for the Minister."

"Yes?" Kingsley asked.

"We caught him, sir!" Daniels said, "Your attacker. We got him."

"Where was he?" Harry asked.

"Hogsmeade Village," Daniels said, "He was looking for something – or someone – there. He won't say what. He is now in high-security custody in the Auror Department at the Ministry."

"Thank you, Auror Daniels," Kingsley said, "You may go."

Auror Daniels nodded nervously and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Ron and Harry turned back to Kingsley.

"Do you want us to interrogate Nott, sir?" Harry asked.

"Would you consider that wise, Harry?" Kingsley asked. "If he was – as you say – your fellow classmate, he surely knows the two of you."

"We can more than handle him, sir," Ron said.

"Will you go tonight?" Kingsley asked.

"Right now, sir, if you wish," Harry said, "No matter the late hours it may take."

"Go," Kingsley said, "If this takes you all night, the two of you have my full permission to take off however many hours you need tomorrow to rest."

"Thank you, Minister," Harry said, "Is there anything you wish us to ask him from you?"

"Give him my apologies for taking his father away from him," Kingsley said.

"We'll make sure he knows, sir," Harry said, "Good evening."

"Rest up, sir," Ron said, "My parents give you their best wishes as well."

"Tell Arthur and Molly thanks for me," Kingsley said.

"I will give them the message," Ron said.

He nodded and looked at each of them.

"Thank you, gentlemen," he said, "You two are indeed a sight for these sore eyes."

Ron and Harry smiled and walked out of the room.

-  
A little over half-an-hour later, Ron and Harry arrived in the Auror Department.

"Aurors Potter and Weasley?" the witch at the front desk asked.

"Yes," Harry said.

"The Minister sent an owl ahead telling us of your arrival," the witch said, "His attacker is in Interrogation Room B. You are expected."

"Thanks," Harry said.

Ron followed Harry over to the wall. Harry tapped the wall with his wand and part of it slid away, revealing the entrance.

"Make sure the fiend pays for attacking the Minister," the witch said, "He deserves anything you give to him."

Ron followed Harry through the entryway, and they walked down the hallway and through the door leading to the Interrogation rooms. Two guards were standing outside Interrogation Room B, and one was standing in the room. Theodore Nott was sitting at a table, his hands and legs forced down by magical bindings.

"Aurors Potter and Weasley here for interrogation," Harry said to the guards.

The guard tapped his wand against the door and it slid open.

"Good luck, gentleman," the guard said.

Harry and Ron walked in, and the guard inside walked out.

"Harry Potter and Ron Weasley," Nott said, "Why am I not surprised? They couldn't send anyone better so they picked two rookies? Figures."

Ron and Harry took a seat on the farthest end of the table. Nott looked at Ron.

"How's Granger?" he asked, "You cleanse her of her Mudblood yet?"

Ron opened his mouth, but the look in Harry's eyes quieted him.

"How do you feel about your sister with Potter?" Nott asked, "I can just imagine what they do every night. I'll say this for you, Potter. At least you have enough sense to get with a pureblood."

"Let's start off with the easier questions, Theo," Harry said. "They found you in Hogsmeade. Why were you there?"

"Was at Weasley's brother's shop," Nott said, "They had a sale on Love Potions. Thought I'd pick one up in case I ever met up with your girlfriend."

"Why did you attack the Minister of Magic?" Harry asked.

Nott emitted a mocking laugh.

"Wouldn't pass a law preventing people like Weasley to marry people like Granger," he said.

"Was it because of your father?" Harry asked.

Nott's eyes narrowed. Ron grinned. They were finally getting somewhere.

"Don't talk about my father, Potter," Nott growled.

"You're part of this rogue group, aren't you?" Harry asked. "Their mission is to get revenge for the loss of their loved ones. The person you wanted revenge on was the Minister of Magic, was it not?"

Nott's nostrils flared.

"Took me months – months – to find out who was responsible for the death of my father," Nott said, "I had no idea it was someone as important as the Minister of Magic. I had thoughts that it was someone like you. Or Weasley. I was given the opportunity to infiltrate the Ministry under the knowledge that I wanted a job here. Getting a job was easy, even for the son of a Death Eater. After the Dark Lord took this place over, people were scared it might happen again. Many left and didn't want their jobs here anymore. The Ministry became desperate. They'd hire just about anyone... isn't that right, Weasley?"

Nott grinned

Why do you think you're where you are now?" he said, to Ron, "Do you really think the Auror Training Corp would invite someone like you if they their pickings weren't slim?"

Nott chuckled.

"Anyway, I took up a role in the Magical Census Department," he continued. "Thought I could be most useful there. The Census department... they know a lot of things that they don't let out. They know things about the general population... they know things about you, Weasley, that you wouldn't even let your mother know."

"That's how you know about our personal lives," Harry said.

Nott grinned again.

"So, the moment came when I could prove my worth to my colleagues," Nott said. "A couple of my colleagues needed a place to live where they could be most useful to their mission. I found a house to put them in, and nobody in the Ministry would even know they were there."

"The house down from my old place," Ron said.

"Not as thick as I thought, Weasley," Nott said. "Very good. Yes. You and Granger had so much magic circulating your house, nobody would know the difference if I put a couple more wizards on the block. Soon after they moved in, your father, Weasley, decided to come snooping around."

Ron narrowed his eyes.

"He asked one of my co-workers who was living at that particular house," Nott said. "All I had to do was use a simple Confounding Charm on the co-worker. Arthur Weasley's so thick... he wouldn't know he was being lied to."

Ron clenched his fists. Harry glanced over to Ron and shook his head.

"How did you find out the Minister was responsible for your father's death?" he asked.

"Didn't I answer that already?" Nott asked. "The Census department know a lot of things they don't let out. They have ways of finding out who killed whom, if they can find the bodies. Simple spell, similar to Priori Incantatem. Very useful tool. I discovered it and I couldn't believe my eyes at first. The man I was looking for... right in this Ministry this whole time."

"What happened today?" Harry asked.

Nott grinned. He seemed too full of himself to realize he was giving them exactly what they wanted.

"All I had to do was get to the Minister," Nott said. "That was too easy. Do you realize your Auror Department is stretched thin these days? Your Minister has sent so many Aurors out searching for my friends that he doesn't even care about his own security. I just had to march into his office under the pretense that I had to deliver a few papers. The guard standing outside his office – not even an Auror, I bet – he certainly didn't move like one. He went down easily. Then I just marched into the Minister's Office."

"Why couldn't you do it?" Harry asked. "You seem tough enough. You certainly were tough enough to kill his guard."

Nott grinned.

"I could see the fear in the Minister's eyes," Nott said.

He widened his eyes and, struggling through his bindings, he raised his hands enough to point at them.

"As he was looking into my eyes," Nott said, "I knew he was seeing my father."

He shook his head and laughed.

"I didn't need to kill the Minister," Nott said, "The revenge I sought out for the death of my father... I realized – I didn't have to do anything! He feels the pain that I needed him to feel. There are far worse things than death, Potter. Living with the thought that you took a man's life when you didn't want to... that's going to eat you up. Shacklebolt's killing himself a little every time he sees my father in his head. So I'm sitting here the happiest man in the world right now. My mission is done. I found who killed my father."

Nott smiled and relaxed himself in his chair.

"I'll just sit here now," Nott said, "and let every one of my friends finish their missions. And they will. Oh, yes. You won't be able to stop them."

Harry grinned and leaned forward.

"We'll see about that," he said, "Come, Ron. We're finished here."

Harry and Ron stood up, and they walked out of the room.

"Should we have told Nott that Kingsley apologized for his father's death?" Ron asked.

"Nott already knows how Kingsley feels, Ron," Harry said. "We don't need to give him the satisfaction."

"Some interrogation tactics you got there, boys," one of the guards said. "Let the prisoner keep talking and before you know it, he'll spill his darkest secrets. I never would have thought about that one."

"Some people just don't know when to shut up," Ron said.

-  
**I'll just end that one right there. I might have had a little too much fun with Nott's interrogation. Haha. **

**Hope you liked this chapter! **


	59. Draco's Helping Hand

**Chapter 59  
Draco's Helping Hand **

**Author's Note: My plans for the ending for the big storyline to this chapter don't begin until the middle of December in the story, so I'm going to do one or two more chapters, then skip ahead with some descriptions so I can get to that part. Otherwise, I'm going to end up with a string of chapters I'll have no ****idea what to do with.**

**(Hermione's PoV)**

Hermione was sitting at the kitchen table of the Burrow with Ron's parents, waiting for information. Ginny had left for her and Harry's house shortly after Harry and Ron had gone to St. Mungo's. It had been nearly two since Ron had disappeared into the Floo Network.

Hermione sat there wondering if Ron would be helping with the search for Kinglsey's attacker, and how long it would take before he would be able to come back home. Their relaxing afternoon swim seemed like ages ago now. It didn't even seem like she had just left the lake a little over two hours ago.

The only thing Hermione had been worried about two hours ago was if she should tell Mrs. Weasley that she had been sleeping in Ron's room. Now there were more pressing issues on her mind. No word about Kingsley's condition – whether he was still alive or not – had come their way.

Mrs. Weasley had made some tea to calm their nerves, and it was helping a little, but Hermione was still worried.

"I thought Ron or Harry would have sent a letter back here before now," Hermione said. "Surely they must know something."

"They're probably quite busy," Mr. Weasley said. "This is what they do."

Hermione nodded. She turned to the Weasley clock, just in time to see Ron's hand go from Work to Traveling, then headed toward Home. Hermione jumped from her chair and ran into the living room. Just as she did, a cloud of dust and soot engulfed the room. Hermione raised her wand, and when the air cleared, Ron was standing there. Hermione grinned, ran over to him and hugged him, then kissed him.

"How's the Minister?" Hermione asked.

Ron smiled and took Hermione's hand then led her into the kitchen. As they sat down, Mrs. Weasley poured Ron a cup of tea. He took a deep swig of it and looked at the three of them.

"The Minister will recover," Ron said, "He was able to talk to Harry and I. He was put under the Cruciatus Curse many times, but he was able to fend off his attacker, and he will be fine after some rest."

There was a huge sigh of relief around the table.

"Did you find out who did this?" Mr. Weasley asked.

Ron nodded.

"That is why I'm back here so quickly," Ron said, "It was Theodore Nott."

"They captured him already?" Mrs. Weasley asked, "Thank goodness."

"He was in Hogsmeade, searching for somebody," Ron said. "Whoever he was searching for must have found him first. Because when the Aurors found him, he had been Stunned."

Ron took another gulp of his tea.

"Harry and I just finished up interrogating Nott a little while ago," he said, "He was getting revenge on Kingsley for the death of his father."

"He thinks Kingsley killed his father?" Hermione asked.

"He did kill his father," Ron said, "Kingsley told Harry and I this himself."

"Did Nott tell you anything else?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"He wouldn't give us anybody he's been working with," Ron said. "He said his part of the mission is over. He is letting his friends do their part, so he refused to give them up. They are determined to get their revenge for the deaths of their families and friends."

Ron gulped the rest of his tea down than stood up.

"Are you hungry, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"No, Mum," Ron said. "I had enough to eat for lunch. I'm just going to go some rest."

Ron looked at Hermione. She nodded and he walked out of the kitchen. Hermione sighed and took a sip of her tea.

"Looks like there is only one person Ron wants to talk to right now," Mrs. Weasley said.

Hermione looked up from her glass at Mrs. Weasley.

"I know, Hermione," Mrs. Weasley said.

"You know I haven't slept a wink in Ginny's room, don't you?" Hermione asked.

Mrs. Weasley smiled. At the end of the table, Mr. Weasley looked back and forth between Hermione and his wife. He was obviously confused at the matter of subject between the two women.

"Molly," Hermione said, "I'm sorry I -"

"Hermione, you don't have to explain it to me," Mrs. Weasley said. "Do you honestly think I'd want to stop what must have been happening for a couple months, just because you've come back into our house? You and Ron love each other and I obviously have nothing to worry about."

Hermione blushed.

"Thank you, Molly," Hermione said.

"Go to him, Hermione," Mrs. Weasley said, "He's had a rough evening."

Hermione drank the rest of her tea and stood up, then left the kitchen. She grinned as she walked up the stairs toward Ron's room. She rapped her knuckles on the door.

"Door's open," Ron said.

Hermione pushed the door opened and walked in. Ron was sitting on his bed. Hermione shut the door behind her.

"What about Mum?" Ron asked, "Won't she realize you're in here."

"She basically told me to come up here," Hermione said.

Ron raised his eyebrows.

"You told her?" he asked.

"I didn't have to tell her anything," Hermione said.

"She knows?" Ron asked. "She knows and she still allowed you to come up here?"

Hermione nodded.

"She's fine with it?" Ron said, a perplexed grin crossing his lips.

"She said she knows we love each other," Hermione said, "And that she has nothing to worry about."

Ron grinned. Hermione walked over to the bed and sat next to him.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"What do you mean?" Ron asked.

"Something is obviously on your mind, Ron," Hermione said.

Ron sighed and looked down at hands resting on his lap.

"I didn't tell my parents everything Harry and I found out," Ron said.

Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"Theodore Nott was working in the Ministry," Ron said, "in the Census Department."

"He was inside the Ministry this whole time?" Hermione asked, "The son of a Death Eater. But... Kingsley's investigations."

"He went in after Kingsley was finished with his investigations," Ron said, "That's not the worst part. The Census Department is worse than the Daily Prophet, Hermione. Their department knows things about everyone in the wizarding world. It is one of the Ministry's deepest secrets. Nott is aware of our relationship. He might even be aware of our engagement. He knows about Harry's relationship with Ginny. He also knew where we used to live."

"Was he the one who broke into our house?" Hermione asked.

"No," Ron said, "But he might as well have been. He is the reason there were members of his group living near our house. He's also the reason the Ministry had no idea they were wizards. Do you remember when I asked my father to go and find out who Parker and Lauren really were?"

Hermione nodded.

"Nott was working in the Census Department the day Dad went there searching for answers," Ron said. "All Nott had to do was use a Confundus Charm on whoever my Dad spoke to, and my Dad would get false information. If the Census Department reported there were no wizards living in that house, the Ministry wouldn't know the difference. The magic coming out of our house was enough for two houses. Even if the occupants of that house were afraid to use magic, they could still use it and the Ministry would have been none the wiser."

"Whoever was spying on us had the perfect tool to do so," Hermione said.

"Theodore Nott himself," Ron said.

"So do you know who Stunned Nott in Hogsmeade?" Hermione asked.

"No," Ron said, shaking his head, "But whoever did... I want to shake his hand."

**(Draco's PoV – less than three hours earlier)**

Draco was running low on supplies in the cave, so he traveled to Hogsmeade to clean up and do some shopping. He figured if he did this once every few days, there wouldn't be any suspicions about his reasons for being in the area. After washing up in the restroom of the Three Broomsticks he walked out and found Hannah talking to Neville Longbottom.

"Back again, Draco?" Hannah asked.

"Thought I'd answer that rain check," Draco said.

"Fish and Chips, and a Butterbeer," Hannah said. "Coming up."

Hannah stood up, and Draco took her spot.

"Nice to see you out of the Greenhouse, Longbottom," Draco said.

"Er... thanks," Neville said.

"Relax," Draco said, "I know the Tentacula isn't the only thing that has its arms around you these days."

Neville blushed.

"Surprised to see you with Hannah," Draco said.

"Why?" Neville asked, "She's great."

"I thought you were destined to be with Loony Lovegood, to be honest," Draco said.

"Luna?" Neville asked. "She's brilliant. But... no, we're just friends."

Suddenly, the doors to the Three Broomsticks opened and two men dressed in Auror robes walked into the room. Draco's eyes widened and turned his face away from them.

"Has anyone seen this man?" one of the Aurors said to everyone in the room.

"Hey, Malfoy," Neville whispered, "Isn't that your friend?"

Draco turned briefly and looked at the piece of parchment the man was holding. It showed a large picture of Theodore Nott.

"Anyone?" the Auror asked. "This man is wanted for the attempted murder of the Minister of Magic."

Draco's eyes widened. It seems Nott had found the man who murdered his father after all. Several people in the restaurant gasped. Draco heard Hannah sobbing. Neville got up from the table and walked over to her, hugging her.

"We haven't seen him," Neville said.

"He's not here," the Auror said to his partner, then looked around. "If anyone sees him, find us. Do not confront him yourself. He is considered highly dangerous."

"How's Minister Shacklebolt?" Hannah asked, her voice quivering.

"We believe he'll be okay," the Auror said.

The Aurors walked out of the Three Broomsticks. Draco's thoughts wandered. If Nott was in Hogsmeade, there was only one reason he was there. Daphne must have thought Draco was still in the area, and had ordered Nott find him. Draco stood up and walked toward the door.

"Another rain check?" Hannah asked.

"Sorry, Hannah," Draco said, "I have some business to attend to."

"You're going to look for Nott, aren't you?" Neville asked.

Draco froze. He was going to try to get out of town, but he realized that wasn't going to work. If Nott was searching for him, he wasn't going to stop. He looked at Neville and nodded.

"Give him a hex for us, Draco," Neville said.

Draco grinned and walked out of the restaurant. He turned and looked up the road. Just as he did, a large crate of products in front of a store down the street exploded.

"Nott!" Draco growled.

Suddenly, Draco saw him. Theodore Nott was running out of a store and up the street, out of town. The two Aurors that were in the restaurant ran out of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, and ran down the road... entirely in the wrong direction.

"Idiots!" Draco muttered, "Do I have to do this myself?"

Draco shook his head. He then realized he knew where Nott was heading. If Nott knew Aurors were looking for him, there were only two places he could hide... and his cave was way too far away. Fortunately, Draco knew a shortcut through town toward his destination, and he ended up at the Shrieking Shack in no less than ten minutes. As soon as he arrived, he saw Nott running down the path, toward the Shack. Draco grinned.

"Reducto!" he muttered, pointing his wand at the shack.

The door of the Shrieking Shack flew off its hinges, and Nott stopped in his tracks, looking frightened.

"Stupefy!" Draco yelled.

Draco's spell flew toward Nott and hit him straight in the back. With a loud grunt, Nott flew to the ground, stunned. Draco walked over to Nott, and kicked his wand away.

"Have fun with the Aurors," Draco said, then pointed his wand to the sky. "Periculum!"

Red sparks shot up into the air. Draco ran back toward the Shrieking Shack and hid behind one of the large cobbled walls, just as he heard two synchronizing cracks.

"Look who we have here, Hector!" one of the Aurors grinned. "What did I tell you, eh? Announce the presence of a fugitive in the area, and that he attacked the Minister, and they'd do our work for us if we couldn't. Let's take this piece of rubbish back to the Ministry."

A moment later, Draco heard two more cracking sounds and he looked up. The two Aurors and Theodore Nott were gone. Draco sighed in relief. Once again, he had gotten lucky, and had evaded capture from members of Daphne's group.

He wondered how long it would be until his luck ran out.

-  
**This chapter was extremely short, but I just wanted to use it to answer a couple questions: How did Nott get captured, and did Mrs. Weasley find out Hermione and Ron's secret? Those were both answered. **

**Many of you have been asking me questions about my story. Now I have one for you. Right now, we're in the second week of November in the story. I don't really have much planned at all for the big events of this story to happen until the middle of December. Do you want me to skip until that time-frame, and give a small description of things that happened between the two dates? Or should I try to figure out something to do in between the two dates? I will say only this. I am so focused on the big events, I have very little focus on anything else leading up to them.**

**Hope you liked this chapter!**


	60. First Strike

**Chapter 60  
First Strike **

**Author's Note: I repeated a couple lines in my last chapter. Ugh. Sorry about that. So I've decided to do a time-skip and do a description of what happened in between. I just want to get to this next chapter so bad. I've been planning it for so long. This chapter will be in two different PoVs.**

After the capture of Nott, Ron, Harry and the rest of the Aurors in charge of working on finding the rest of the members of the rogue group. While Kingsley was recovering, he was taking the lead of the mission from his hospital room in St. Mungo's.

Ron and Harry were sent to Hogsmeade to find out who Nott was going after. They interviewed Hannah Abbot who told them that Draco Malfoy had frequently been showing up to Hogsmeade lately, but she didn't know where he was staying. Aberforth told them that Draco hadn't stayed in the Hog's Head since the start of November. After a few days of no leads where Draco could be, they gave up their search at Hogsmeade, and returned to the main mission.

Unfortunately, that wasn't going well either. When Kingsley returned to the Ministry, in the middle of November, he started up the investigations once again to interview anyone who had applied to the Ministry after his initial investigations had been completed. These interviews took quite a while and didn't end until late into the second week of December, and still he found nothing. Harry, Ron and the Aurors were just as unlucky. It seemed it was inevitable and they were going to have to wait for Daphne to make the first strike.

Meanwhile, Ginny and the Harpies' next match against the Wimbourne Wasps was a close one. Wimbourne Wasps had taken a commanding lead in points, but thanks to a last minute score by Ginny, and a lucky catch of the Snitch for the Harpies' Seeker, De Pierre, the Harpies had won the match by ten points, and they were now in the playoffs. Unfortunately, they lost their last match before the playoffs and would not get complete home-pitch advantage throughout the playoffs.

Gwenog Jones had seen how depleted her team's motivation was after their end-of-season loss, that she had planned a special pep rally celebration for her team and the Harpies' Fans. It would take place December 18th, five days before their first playoff game.

Draco was having a rough few weeks in the cave. December had blown in a harsh winter, and Draco had to keep supply runs going every couple of days. Thankfully, he had picked up a special magically-heated sleeping bag to keep him warm, so he wouldn't have to keep a fire going during the evening.

Besides the risk of freezing to death, he also had a huge risk just walking into Hogsmeade. Hannah Abbot had confided in him that Aurors from the Ministry were looking for him, but Draco had convinced her not to reveal too much. She had offered her guest bedroom in her house just a few miles outside of Hogsmeade, but Draco decided he couldn't take it. He decided that, like his time in the safe-house for months, this time in the cave was just another test for him.

Besides, he knew if Daphne was true to her word, whatever she had planned was going to happen before too long. He had thought of the possibilities where Daphne could attack. Then finally, one week before he had planned to meet Astoria in Hogwarts for the Yule Ball, he realized what her true motivations were for leading the rogue group. If that was the case, he had picked a very good place to hide if he wanted to be the one to stop Daphne's rogue group. 

-  
**(December 18th, 1999)**

**(Draco's PoV)**

The Yule Ball was scheduled to start at five in the evening. Draco would be meeting Astoria at the entrance of the castle, shortly before the Yule Ball would start. Astoria had sent him a letter the day before, telling him to meet a carriage in Hogsmeade before half-past-four, when they would be leaving for the castle. Shortly after four, he apparated near Hogsmeade, and walked into the small village. He was dressed in a tuxedo that he had bought in Hogsmeade the day before. When he arrived at the carriages, there were only a couple of them. Hannah was standing outside one, dressed in a beautiful white-and-pink gown. When she saw him, she waved and he walked over to her.

"Don't tell me you're going to the Yule Ball as well!" Draco said.

"Neville invited me," Hannah said, "I couldn't decline. I haven't had a nice date with him in a month. You look very smart in that tuxedo, by the way."

Draco blushed.

"How about we take a carriage together?" Hannah asked.

"Works for me," Draco said, "After you."

"Well... aren't you nice?" Hannah asked.

"Don't get too used to it," Draco said, with a smirk.

Hannah grinned and stepped into the carriage. Draco followed her inside and sat across from her. A couple minutes later, the carriage started making its way toward the castle.

"Draco," Hannah said. "I've been meaning to ask you something for a few weeks now."

"Have at it," Draco said.

"Are you involved in anything?" Hannah asked. "Like... anything dangerous?"

Draco sighed.

"Why do you ask?" he asked.

"Because I've noticed a pattern over the past month," Hannah said, "First Pansy Parkinson comes looking for you, then Theodore Nott show up, and I know the history between you and him. Then Harry Potter and Ron Weasley come asking if you've been around Hogsmeade. And then soon after, you tell me not to say anything. I think I have a right to know, Draco."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Draco said.

"Try me," Hannah said. "And don't say it is a long story. This carriage ride takes about twenty minutes. I think that is long enough."

"If I tell you," Draco said, "You have to promise me you won't overreact until I am finished. Otherwise, you won't hear the whole story."

"I promise," Hannah said, "Let me have it."

"Do you know about the threat of a rogue group?" Draco asked.

"I've heard a few rumors," Hannah said.

"It's real," Draco said, "And there could likely be an attack before the end of the year."

Hannah's eyes widened.

"How do you know this?" Hannah asked, her lips quivering in fear.

"Because I used to be close enough to the group to know these things," Draco said.

"You're a part of this group?" Hannah asked.

"I was," Draco said, "I was – well, you could say I was working undercover – in the group. But it became too much and I had to get out of there. I've been watching from a distance, waiting for my time to strike at them."

"So... Pansy and Nott?" Hannah asked.

"Are a part of this rogue group," Draco said, "I can't say much about it, because the leader, Daphne, put a charm on everyone in the group similar to the Secret Keeper Charm, and it seems I am still under it."

"Daphne?" Hannah asked, "As in...?"

"As in Astoria's sister," Draco said, "Yes."

"And Astoria doesn't know anything about this group?" Hannah asked.

"I really hope not," Draco said, "I've been keeping it from her. Trying to keep her safe. I'm hoping this thing will blow over before too long."

"Blow over?" Hannah asked, "Are you listening to yourself? These people could attack. Harmless lives could be at risk, Draco."

"I can't do anything about that until it happens, Hannah," Draco said. "But when it does, I will do everything in my power to prevent it."

"And you don't know when it will happen?" Hannah asked.

"Daphne said it could happen before the end of the year," Draco said.

"That's less than two weeks, Draco!" Hannah said.

"I know," Draco said.

"So you've been hiding out around here for a month and a half now," Hannah said, "And you haven't done much about it?"

"Yes," Draco said, "But I am almost sure I know where Daphne's going to attack. I've thought about it, and the clues tell me it could happen."

"What clues?" Hannah asked.

"Everyone in Daphne's rogue group is on a personal mission," Draco said. "They're trying to avenge the death's of their family members... the Death Eaters who died in the war."

"Wait," Hannah said, her eyes growing wide with fear, "But most of the Death Eaters were killed during..."

"Yeah, Hannah," Draco said, "I know."

Hannah's eyes sparkled with tears, and she put her hands to her mouth.

"I hope you're wrong, Draco," Hannah's muffled voice said.

"Believe me, Hannah," Draco said, looking up at the castle as they got closer, "So do I."

"Can't you do something?" Hannah asked. "Can't we warn Professor McGonagall or somebody?"

"Do you honestly think they'd believe us?" Draco asked. "That they'd believe me? Why do you think Harry and Ron came searching for me? I'm a wanted fugitive! They wouldn't listen to me. By the time they'd believe me, it could have already happened!"

"But they need to be ready, Draco," Hannah said, "You can't sit around and do nothing."

"Yeah?" Draco asked. "What if I'm wrong? What if do this and I start a panic? I've already caused enough trouble. I'm not going to cause any more for myself or anyone else. For now, we should enjoy the night."

"Yeah," Hannah said, "Good luck with that."

Hannah turned away and looked up toward the castle. Draco knew he wouldn't get another word out of her for the rest of the ride.

At ten minutes to five, the carriages arrived outside the main entrance of Hogwarts. Draco stepped out, and saw Astoria waiting at the top of the steps near the Entrance Hall. She was wearing a white skirt that ended just above her knees. Draco walked up to her, grinning as he admired her outfit. Astoria grinned, let out a little squeal that she did whenever she saw him, and put her arms around his neck, hugging him.

"You look absolutely stunning tonight," Draco said.

"You don't look too bad yourself," Astoria said.

Draco grinned. Astoria leaned toward him and kissed him.

"Let's go in," she said, "It is about to start."

"Don't want to make a fashionably late entrance?" Draco asked, grinning.

Astoria chuckled and shook her head. She led him into the castle and through the large crowd of students, meeting up and making their way into the Great Hall.

Draco's eyes sparkled as he looked at the Great Hall. It looked similar to when he was at the Yule Ball during his fourth year at Hogwarts, but in other ways it looked much more elegant and beautiful. Just like the previous Yule Ball, there were numerous tables on either side of the hall, and a large open space for dancing at the other end of the hall. House-Elves dressed in Father Christmas hats and red clothing were walking around the tables, setting out menus. Glass plates, silverware and glasses were set around each.

"Astoria!" a voice said, taking Draco away from the decorations in the Great Hall.

A young man about Astoria's age was walking up toward them. Draco didn't recognize him, but there was something very familiar about him all the same.

"Hi, Garrett," Astoria said, "Oh, yes, introductions. Garrett, this is my boyfriend, Draco."

"Pleasure to meet you, Draco," Garrett said.

"You too," Draco said, "Er... have we met before?"

"I... don't think so," Garrett said.

"Hmm," Draco said, "Maybe I've just seen you around the Slytherin Common Room when I was a student."

"Probably," Garrett said.

"Do you have a date, Garrett?" Astoria asked.

"Yeah," Garrett said, "She's still getting ready."

"Wonderful!" Astoria said, "Hope you have fun with her."

"I'm sure I will," Garrett said, "Enjoy the night."

"Come, Draco," Astoria said, "Let's find a place to sit before they're all taken."

Draco nodded. As he and Astoria walked away, Draco saw Garrett's eyes following him.

"Should I jealous of that Garrett gentleman?" Draco asked.

"Not at all," Astoria said. "He's a good friend. We're partners in Potions, and we talk sometimes during meals, but other than that, he seems to be off on his own. I'm surprised he was able to snag a date. He always seems so shy."

"I wonder why he looks so familiar," Draco said. "It is like I've met him before... outside of Hogwarts, I mean."

"Maybe he just has that kind of face," Astoria said.

"Yeah... maybe," Draco said.

"Don't worry about it," Astoria said. "Oh. Here's a good spot."

Draco pulled out the chair at the empty table. Astoria grinned and sat down. Draco sat down next to her. Professor McGonagall walked up back of the room, where the Professors Table usually stood.

"Attention, please!" she said, her voice magnified by her wand.

Most of the chatter died down and stopped.

"Welcome to the Yule Ball," Professor McGonagall said, "I know there are a couple of former students here who have been invited by others her," McGonagall said, "So I also welcome you back this evening."

Astoria smiled at Draco, who grinned.

"This will probably be the last chance I get to say this before the lot of you go home for winter break," Professor McGonagall continued, "So I just want to wish all of you the best of holidays. Tonight, the festivities will be led by our own choir of musical instruments."

She waved her wand and a low tune started to play from a number of music instruments behind her.

"If you have noticed yet," McGonagall continued, "There are menus on each of the tables, giving you the special courses of meals tonight. All you have to do is say to the menu what you want, and it will appear in front of you from the kitchens below. So, without further ado and squabble, I hope all of you have a magical evening of well-manner frivolity."

Professor McGonagall waved her wand, and the musical instruments started to play a loud, fast tune. Several students walked over to the floor and started to dance. Draco picked up his menu and looked through it. He realized just how hungry he was. He hadn't exactly had the best diet while living in the cave. He started ordering a number of things from the menu, and as they appeared on the plate in front of him, Astoria seemed to notice, as she was ordering her own dinner.

"Hungry?" Astoria asked, eyebrows raised.

"I missed Hogwarts food," Draco said, picking up a chicken leg, "Haven't had a good meal like this in a while."

"Doesn't your boss feed you at their house?" Astoria asked.

Draco looked at his chicken leg. He realized he needed to talk to her about all of this. Sooner or later, she was going to find out that he hadn't been working at all, and that there was no boss.

"He's been feeding me just fine," Draco said.

Draco sighed. Tonight, this moment at least, wasn't the right time for that.

"Just hungry tonight, I guess?" Astoria asked.

Draco nodded.

"That's okay," Astoria said, "You're going to need your appetite if you're going to be on your feet all night."

"Just so you know," Draco said, "I'm not a very good dancer."

"Rubbish," Astoria said, "You'll do just fine."

Draco shook his head.

"I don't deserve this," he said.

"What are you on about?" Astoria asked.

"I don't deserve to be the perfect man you think I am," Draco said.

"Nobody's perfect, Draco," Astoria said, chuckling. "And I don't need you to be."

"Good," Draco said, "Because I'm not."

"Do you honestly think I am?" Astoria asked.

"You know I do," Draco said. "You're everything I'm not, and yet you're everything I want to be. You have these wonderful parents who seem to love you just being you. They don't seem to expect anything of you. You're in Slytherin, but deep inside, you know you weren't born to be. And you love me for who I am and not who everyone else wants me to be."

Astoria grinned and Draco saw tears sparkle in her eyes.

"I'm not as perfect as you think I am," she said. "You know I'm a complete loner when I'm not around you. Like you said, I'm not meant to be in Slytherin, and unfortunately, everyone seems to know that too, so I am the outcast. My parents love me being me, because out of their two daughters, I'm the good girl. I'm the one they have high expectations for. My parents have been writing to me a lot about Daphne these past days, and they're – the letters are so confusing, Draco. It is like they think Daphne is a different person."

Draco frowned as he looked at her. Did she know what kind of person Daphne had turned into?

"I tried to write to Daphne once or twice," Astoria said, frowning. "And when she wrote back, she wasn't the sister I grew up with and admired. Something's wrong, Draco. I'm worried about her. I'm glad this term is about over, because I need to go home and find Daphne, and find out what is wrong. I'm worried about her."

Draco took Astoria's hand under the table, and squeezed it. Astoria smiled a little and looked up at him.

"You haven't heard anything about my sister," she said, "Have you?"

"No," Draco lied.

He kicked himself, mentally. Oh, how he hated lying to Astoria.

"Maybe she's just having a hard time adjusting to this new life," he said. "She's out of Hogwarts now. She has to be an adult. That can change a person. Believe me, I know."

"I hope that is all it is," Astoria said. "That wouldn't be too difficult to deal with. She would just need advice."

"I'm sure she'd listen to you," Draco said.

Astoria nodded.

After they had eaten their fill, Astoria led Draco onto the dance floor. The music had turned soft and slow.

"I told you I don't know how to dance very well," Draco said.

Astoria grinned and shook her head. She obviously got a kick out of this. She took Draco's arms and put them around her waist. Astoria then put her arms around Draco's neck and leaned up against him. He could smell the perfume on her neck. It had a sweet smell of roses and lilac. Draco rotated them slowly around in a circle.

"See?" Astoria asked, "You dance very well."

"This isn't dancing," Draco said, "It is moving around in a circle while standing in one place."

"It is one of the more popular forms of dancing," Astoria said, "And it is quite romantic."

"I'll agree with that bit," Draco said.

Nearly an hour later, Draco and Astoria were still on the dance floor in each other's arms. As Draco was looking around the room, something caught his eye. Hannah and Neville were having some type of conversation that had worried Neville. Neville looked up from Hannah, and his eyes went straight toward Draco. Draco's eyes narrowed.

"She didn't!" he muttered.

"Did you say something, Draco?" Astoria said.

"Er... nothing, darling," Draco said.

Neville and Hannah stood up, and Draco kept his eyes on them. They walked across the Great Hall... straight toward Professor McGonagall.

"Oh, bloody hell," Draco said.

Astoria backed away a bit, and looked up at Draco.

"What's wrong?" Astoria asked.

"Er... I..." Draco stammered. "I need some fresh air. Let's go outside."

Draco took Astoria's hand and took one more glance at Neville, Hannah and Professor McGonagall. McGonagall had a very worrying look on her face. Draco hurried out of the Great Hall with Astoria and walked out with her onto the grounds.

"Draco! You're sweating!" Astoria said, looking up at Draco, "What is wrong?"

"It's just hot in there," Draco said.

"Hey, Astoria!" a voice said.

Draco and Astoria turned. That Garrett kid was walking down the steps toward them.

"What's wrong, Garrett?"Astoria asked.

"Have you seen my date?" Garrett asked. "I can't find her."

"I don't know who your date is, Garrett," Astoria said, "Who is she?"

"Oh, she's..." Garrett said, blushing. "Oh, wait, she's over there!"

Garrett was looking over Draco's shoulder. Draco turned and could not believe his eyes. Pansy Parkinson and Gregory Goyle were walking up through the grounds toward them.

"Pansy?" Draco said.

"Pansy Parkinson is your date, Garrett?" Astoria asked.

"I don't think so," Draco said.

He took out his wand and pointed it at Pansy.

"What are you doing here, Pansy?" Draco growled.

"I think you know what, Draco, darling," Pansy said, grinning.

"Draco, what is going on?" Astoria asked, "What is Pansy Parkinson doing here?"

"Haven't told her yet, have you, Draco?" Pansy asked. "Astoria, there is something I'd like to tell you -"

"Shut your rotten mouth, Parkinson!" Draco said, threateningly, pointing his wand.

"Expelliarmus!" Garrett said.

Draco's wand flew out of his hand and dropped at his feet. Draco's eyes widened.

"Garrett!" Astoria said, "How could you?"

"Petrificus Totalus!" Pansy yelled.

Suddenly, Draco felt his body go rigid and stiff, and he fell backwards onto the ground, unable to move but completely conscious.

"You're coming with us, Astoria!" Garrett's voice said.

"What are you doing?" Astoria shrieked. "Get your hands off me! Draco, help!"

"Draco's not going to help you, Astoria," Goyle said, chuckling.

"No, Goyle!" Pansy said, "We have our orders! Draco remains alive. He has a special job to do."

Pansy walked into Draco's line of sight.

"I've known that you've been playing messenger boy for Potter and his friends for a while now, Draco," Pansy said, "Well, now I have one more message for you to give Potter. If you want Astoria back and safe, he'll get it."

Pansy bent down and Draco felt something rough and thin hit his forehead. Pansy blew him a kiss and then ran off. Draco heard Astoria's muffled screaming as she became further and further distanced from him.

Then he heard the muffled sound of footsteps.

"Wha's goin' on out here?" Hagrid's rough voice said, "I heard dueling! You know the rules! I will have to – Draco, wha' you doing there?"

Draco heard the footsteps come near faster. Suddenly, Hagrid's large body was standing over him. Hagrid took his umbrella from his belt and pointed it at Draco. A second later, Draco could finally move again."

"Wha's goin' on?" Hagrid asked.

Draco sat up and saw a small piece of parchment fall onto his lap.

"Wha's that?" Hagrid asked.

Draco picked it up and read it. His eyes widened as he did. He had not predicted this at all.

"Hagrid," Draco said, "Warn the Headmistress. There's been a kidnapping."

"Wha' do you mean?" Hagrid asked, "Who's been kidnapped?"

"Just do it, you great oaf!" Draco said, getting to his feet.

Before Hagrid could say another word, Draco ran off toward the edge of the grounds, so he could find a safe place to apparate. He didn't know where Pansy had taken Astoria, but he had a feeling one person would. He had to go find Harry Potter.

He ran off down toward Hogsmeade, as quick as his feet would take him, It would be the only safe place to Apparate. But when he got to Hogsmeade twenty minutes later, he didn't know where to go. He looked around, wondering what to do... and then he saw the answer. He ran over to the large notice board, where a big announcement in purple colors was plastered. It read:

**Come meet the Holyhead Harpies on December 18th at six-o-clock in The Leaky Cauldron for their pep-rally leading them into the Playoffs! Help the Harpies rally! Don't miss it!**

Draco nodded. Harry's girlfriend was on the team. She would surely be there, and so would Harry. Draco closed his eyes, and apparated, engulfing temporarily himself into blackness.

**(Ron's PoV – Five minutes earlier)**

Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Harry were sitting at a table in the crowded Leaky Cauldron. It had been decorated in Holyhead Harpies colors. Numerous fans had packed into the bar. The pep-rally had started, and some of the Harpies players were discussing stories about some of their greatest moments and plays of the season, to some of the fans around at the tables.

"Harpies, huddle up!" Gwenog Jones yelled.

"Be back in a bit," Ginny said.

She stepped out from the table and walked over to the center of the Leaky Cauldron, where a stage had been placed. Ginny joined the rest of her team, and Gwenog stepped up to a podium.

"Welcome, one and all, to the Pre-Playoff Pep-Rally for the Holyhead Harpies!" Gwenog said.

The bar erupted in cheers.

"You've followed us this whole season," Gwenog said to the fans, "as we went through this seasons. We've gone through trials and tribulations, cheers and tears, and many wins, and a couple of losses! But here we are!"

The fans cheered again.

"Now, in five days," Gwenog said, "Two days before Christmas, we will be facing Puddlemere United for a chance to get into the semi-finals of the Quidditch Cup! We faced them once before this season, and we beat the Bludgers out of them! And we will do it again."

Bertha Biggs hollered in agreement and everyone else cheered.

"I know I would have not done it without my wonderful team this year," Gwenog said, "So I introduce you to my teammates and my best friends in this world... your Holyhead Harpies!"

She introduced each one of them.

"And finally," Gwenog said, "Making one of the most impressive rookie season debuts I've ever seen a player do... Chaser Ginny Weasley!"

Harry, Ron and Hermione's cheers were the loudest of them all.

"Ginny?" Gwenog said, nodding to the podium.

Up on the stage, Ginny blushed and walked over to the podium. Suddenly, the door to the Leaky Cauldron opened, and Ron looked over toward it. Draco Malfoy walked in and looked around, then walked over to Ron, Harry and Hermione. Nobody else had noticed him because Ginny was going through a speech.

"Malfoy!" Harry said, "What are you doing here?"

"We have to stop this pep rally, Potter," Draco said, "I think something is -"

Suddenly, one of the doors to the Leaky Cauldron blew off its hinges and flew into the room with an explosion. A number of men and Daphne Greengrass walked into the room, and before Ron and Harry could stand up, the Leaky Cauldron was the scene of a disaster zone. Spells were ricocheting all over the place, most of them from Daphne's rogue group. Explosions rocked the Leaky Cauldron. Ron grabbed Hermione and dove to the ground with Harry and Draco, just as one of the tables zoomed over their heads. Screams echoed through out the Leaky Cauldron.

As Ron tried to stand up, he heard the screams of a very familiar voice.

"Ginny!" Harry and Ron screamed.

"Harry!" Ginny shrieked.

Ron then heard a gagging sound. Ron looked up to see a large black bag over Ginny's head. She was being carried out of the Leaky Cauldron by a group of men.

"If you want her, Potter!" Daphne said, "Come and claim her!"

Harry and Ron stood up, then heard a number of very loud cracks. Suddenly, there was a number of screams and cries. The dust and debris settled and Ron heard one voice louder than the rest.

"No!" Gwenog roared. "Bertha, no!"

Ron looked over to see Gwenog huddling over Bertha Biggs, who was sprawled out on the ground. A large piece of wood was sticking out of the side of Bertha's limp body. Ron knew she was dead.

"Harry!" Hermione gasped.

Ron and Harry looked up, and Ron noticed that Hermione was pointing at something behind the bar where Tom, the barman, usually stood. Large red letters were forming in the air:

_Harry Potter,_

_If you want to see your loved one again, you will meet me at the place where I lost mine. Meet me by the time of day you killed the love of my life and I will spare Ginny Weasley._

_Daphne Greengrass_

Ron's lips quivered as he read the message.

"Come on!" Harry said, heading out of the Leaky Cauldron, "I know where she's taken Ginny!"

"Harry, wait!" Hermione gasped.

Ron took Hermione's hand and followed Harry out of the bar.

"Harry" Ron said, "You never killed anyone! How do you know where she's taken her?"

"Daphne doesn't know that," Harry said. "I am known as the the Hero of the Second War for one reason. Daphne wants me to meet her at the place, by sunrise tomorrow morning... where the love of her life was killed."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Ron said.

"You understand right, Ron," Harry said, "The love of Daphne's life was Voldemort himself. We're going to Hogwarts."

-  
**Woo! I love the last few bits of this chapter! Everything that happened from Pansy's arrival at Hogwarts, to the end of this chapter, has been in my mind for days now!**

**Hope you liked this chapter! **


	61. Daphne's Warning

**Chapter 61  
Daphne's Warning**

**Author's Note: These next few chapters will happen chronologically in the span of a few hours.**

(Harry's PoV)

A cold blast of winter wind met with Harry, as he apparated into Hogsmeade Village. Around him, Ron, Hermione and Draco appeared out of thin air. Harry headed down the cobbled pavement of High Street, on his way to Hogwarts. Hermione, Ron and Draco's footsteps crunched through the snow behind him.

"Harry!" Hermione said, "Harry! We need a plan!"

"Daphne's got Ginny, Hermione!" Harry said, "I'm not going to sit here and do a plan!"

"Harry, she's got Astoria too!" Draco said.

Harry stopped in his tracks. He had not expected that. He turned around in the snow, toward Draco.

"That's why I came to see you in the Leaky Cauldron," Draco said, "I had to warn you. I was up at Hogwarts at the Yule Ball with Astoria, and we walked outside for fresh air. Pansy and Goyle ambushed us and when it was over, I was on the ground and Astoria was being dragged off toward the Forbidden Forest. Pansy gave me a note. The same note Daphne wrote to you in red letters. We finally have something in common, Potter. The love of our lives were snatched by Daphne's group."

"Harry," Hermione said, "Daphne's not going to do anything to Ginny until sunrise tomorrow morning. You said that yourself. But if she's going to meet you in the Great Hall, where Voldemort was killed, she's going to have to get in there. I don't think I need to tell you how she's going to do that. We have to warn them. Hogwarts is not prepared. They are going to need help."

"Hermione's right, mate," Ron said, "You saw what they did in the Leaky Cauldron, and that was probably just a small force. It is going to be a massacre unless we can do something."  
**  
**Harry nodded and thought quickly.

"Okay," he said, "How did we do this last time? Reinforcements came through Aberforth's pub, right? Into the Room of Requirement?"

"Yeah, but Harry," Hermione said, "The room of Requirement is probably not prepared for that. Someone would have to go up there and tell the room what to do."

"I can do that," Draco said, "All I need is someone to tell Aberforth that I'll meet him when I'm ready."

"Okay," Harry said, "Here's what we're going to do. Draco and I will go to Hogwarts to warn them. Ron, Hermione, you get to the Ministry and tell them. We don't know how big Daphne's army is. It could be the size of Voldemort's army for all we know."

"We''ll try to bring as many reinforcements as we can," Ron said, "We'll bring them right through Aberforth's pub."

"Good luck, guys," Harry said, "Meet me back at Hogwarts when you can."

Hermione let out a sob and walked over to Harry and hugged him.

"Be careful," she said, "We'll get her back. I promise you. Don't go and find her yourself."

"I promise, Hermione," Harry said.

Hermione backed up and Harry looked at Ron.

"Ginny's going to be safe, Ron," Harry said, "I promised your sister I would never get her hurt, and I'm not going to break that promise."

Ron nodded.

"Go," Harry said.

Ron took Hermione's hand and ran off in the direction of Aberforth's bar. Harry and Draco headed down High Street and up toward Hogwarts.

"Do you think Daphne's trying to recreate the Battle of Hogwarts?" Draco asked, as they ran past Hogsmeade Station.

"That's mental, Malfoy," Harry said.

"Daphne's pretty mental these days, Potter," Draco said, "She's got it in her head that her friends deserve their revenge. I thought she was just helping them. But if she's really doing it to avenge Voldemort... don't you think she could be trying to retrace his steps?"

"Voldemort was trying to prevent me from destroying his Horcruxes," Harry said.

"He was trying to kill you," Draco scoffed. "How could you be so thick?"

"I know he was trying to kill me," Harry said, "I remember that day like the events were written on the back of my hand."

"Well, then, you should know what I am talking about!" Draco said, "Look, I've been trying for weeks to find out what Daphne's been planning. And now I know. She's trying to rewrite history. Voldemort and the Death Eaters fell at the first Battle of Hogwarts and Harry Potter and the good guys won. She's hoping that this time it will be different. Instead of Voldemort's Horcruxes this time, you're searching for your girlfriend, and she's hoping your friends will fight for you while you go on your search."

Harry stared at Draco. He was actually starting to make some sense.

"She wants you to meet her in the Great Hall at sunrise," Draco said, "The same place you fought Voldemort and killed him. Put together the pieces, Potter, will you?"

"I never killed Voldemort, Draco," Harry said, "His killing curse rebounded."

"You said it yourself," Draco said, "Daphne doesn't know that! She wants to avenge the death of the one man – if you could call him that – that she's ever loved. You're searching for Ginny. Daphne has her, and she's told you exactly where they'll be, and when they'll be there. You can't tell me you're not going to meet her."

"No," Harry said, "I can't tell you that. I will meet her, because I will not risk Ginny's life over it."

"You're playing right into her hands, Potter," Draco said, "And you're just going to let it happen."

"Yeah, Draco," Harry said, "I am."

Draco shook his head and walked ahead of Harry, toward the castle.

"You're more mental than Daphne," he muttered.

Harry sighed and followed Draco. He could now see Hogwarts, its lights illuminating the air around it, as darkness started to settle over the castle. Draco was right. Hogwarts was about to get a major dose of deja vu.

-  
**(Ron's PoV)**

Ron opened the door to the Hog's Head, and he and Hermione rushed inside.

"How can I help you?" Aberforth asked, dully.

"Hogwarts is about to be under attack again!" Ron said.

"You're pulling my beard," Aberforth said.

"Unfortunately, we're not, Mr. Dumbledore," Hermione said, "We believe Daphne Greengrass and her rogue group of wizards are in the Forbidden Forest as we speak. For all we know, they are gathering and preparing for the attack. Here's what we need you to do. Ron and I are going to the Ministry to get reinforcements. They'll apparate here, and you'll tell them where to go."

"I'm sure they know how to get to Hogwarts, young lady," Aberforth said.

"They'll not be going the conventional way, Mr. Dumbledore," Hermione said.

"The tunnel behind my sister's portrait?" Aberforth asked. "Impossible. Been blocked for a while now. Too many changes in the Room of Requirement."

"We'll worry about that," Ron said. "You just wait for Draco Malfoy. He'll be coming through the other side of that portrait... I hope. When he does, the reinforcements should be here by then. Tell them where to go."

"I'll do what I can," Aberforth said, "Is Hogwarts really going to be attacked?"

Ron and Hermione nodded.

"I'll be damned," Aberforth said, tugging at his beard, "Never thought I'd have to live through this again. Hell, maybe I won't have to."

Hermione frowned. Ron took her hand and walked out of the Hog's Head. Just when Ron thought Hermione was getting ready to apparate with him, she let go of his hand.

"What are you doing?" Ron asked her.

"We both can't go to the Ministry," Hermione said.

"Hermione, I'm not losing sight of you tonight," Ron said.

"It'll only just be for a bit, Ron," Hermione said, "We need more reinforcements than just Aurors. We need our friends."

"We'll go together!" Ron said, "We'll go to the Ministry and tell Kingsley. He'll take care of the reinforcements, then we'll go – we'll go -"

Ron frowned.

"Ron, I'm not asking you to risk your family's lives tonight," Hermione said.

"You said we need more reinforcements," Ron said.

"Yes, but Ron!" Hermione cried out, "Your family? After what happened last time?"

"We can't think about that right now," Ron said, "Hogwarts needs us."

"Right," Hermione said, nodding.

Ron took Hermione's hand and they apparated together to the Ministry, landing in the Apparation-safe zone. They headed for the lifts, and made their way toward Kingsley's office.

-  
**(Harry's PoV)  
**

Harry was out of breath by the time he and Draco reached the entrance of Hogwarts castle. When they walked inside, Professor McGonagall, Hagrid, Neville and Hannah started walking toward them.

"There you are, Draco!" McGonagall said, "I'd like to talk to – Mr. Potter, what are you doing here?"

"Headmistress," Harry said, "We have good reason to believe Hogwarts is going to experience events similar to what happened the day Voldemort fell."

McGonagall's eyes widened in fear.

"So it is true," McGonagall said.

"Yes, Professor," Harry said, "Daphne and her rogue group have kidnapped Ginny Weasley, and -"

"And Astoria!" Draco added.

"I believe Daphne kidnapped Ginny to lure me into meeting her," Harry said. "She's planning on meeting me at the same – or similar - time and place where my battle against Voldemort happened. We also believe she is trying to recreate the Battle of Hogwarts."

"Headmistress?" Hagrid said.

"Hagrid," McGonagall said, her eyes still on Harry, "Gather the Professors. Tell them Hogwarts is threatened and to warn the students who are still in their Common Rooms. Mr. Longbottom, Miss Abbot, I need you to lead the students out of Hogwarts and to safety. Take them -"

"To the Room of Requirement!" Draco said, "I'm going to re-open the tunnel!"

"That will work," Neville said.

"Professor, some of the students are going to want to fight," Harry said.

McGonagall nodded.

"I am aware of this, Mr. Potter," she said, "Follow me. It seems we have to crash the Yule Ball."

Draco ran off toward the Grand Staircase. Harry followed Professor McGonagall, Hagrid, Neville and Hannah into the Great Hall. As soon as the students saw Harry, they started to chatter. Harry and the others reached the Professors, who were all gathered together.

"What is going on, Minerva?" Professor Flitwick asked.

"It seems someone is planning to gate-crash our party this evening, Filius," McGonagall said, then put her wand to her lips, "Sonorous."

She and Harry turned to the students.

"Attention!" McGonagall said, "I am afraid the Yule Ball has to come to an early end."

The musical instruments that were playing stopped suddenly, and students who were dancing groaned.

"I have some very disturbing news for all of you tonight," McGonagall said. "We have learned that Hogwarts is, once again, about to be threatened by Dark forces."

A few students groaned and others whimpered and cried. A few girls erupted in tears, as their dates hugged them.

"Silence!" McGonagall said. "A rogue group of wizards have come to the castle with the sole purpose of recreating the Battle of Hogwarts that took place here a year and a half ago."

"If they want to fight us, bring it on!" a student yelled.

"Thank you, Mr. Grant," McGonagall said, "Yes, those of you who are of legal age can stay and fight. The rest of you will be lead out of the castle and into safety."

"Is anyone going to help us?" a female student said.

McGonagall paused, and looked at Harry. Harry nodded and heightened his voice with his wand.

"There are reinforcements being sent from the Ministry of Magic as we speak!" Harry said. "I'm sure all of you know who I am. For those who don't, my name is Harry Potter."

Many of the students cheered.

"I was here the last time this castle was threatened!" Harry said, "And I will be here right alongside those of you who wish to fight! We will make it through this night, just like we did last time. That is a promise! I will not let this castle fall. Who wants to fight with me?"

The Professors and many of the students cheered.

"As the Headmistress said," Harry said, "Those of you who are old enough can fight with us. The rest of you... Neville and Hannah here will lead you out. The Professors will get the younger students. Do not dawdle to get your things. We do not know when the attack will begin. We -"

"Look!" a student screamed, "At the ceiling!"

Harry looked up. A large black cloud was hovering over head. Lightning bolts came crashing down from it, though none reached the ground. A large ice-filled chandelier came tumbling down from the ceiling.

"Protego!" McGonagall yelled, "Reducto!"

The chandelier exploded, but none of the shards of ice hit the students below. They ricocheted from the large protective shield and disappeared.

Suddenly, there were whispers coming from the large black cloud.

_"Harry Potter!"_ a sharp whisper said, and Harry recognized it as Daphne's voice, _"I'm sure you know by now just what I have planned for you this evening. This castle was once the scene of a bloody and brutal battle, resulting in the deaths of Lord Voldemort and many others who I hold very dear to my heart."_

"You're not the only one, Daphne," Harry muttered.

_"Tonight, Hogwarts will experience that battle once again," _Daphne said, _"But tonight, we will rewrite the history books. Do not think the same results will happen, Potter. Because you will be gravely mistaken. Just like those beliefs of the man I hold dear to my heart, I do not want innocent blood spilled this evening. I will allow anyone in Hogwarts who wishes to leave the grounds do so. I speak to all of you now. You have one hour to make your choice. Will you choose to live? Or will you choose to fight along side the Hero of the Second War, and die with him on this night? Make your choice. You have one hour."_

The black clouds swirled above, and a lightning bolt came down and struck Harry. Students and Professors screamed his name, but Harry did not feel any pain. He only heard Daphne's voice in his head.

_"Harry Potter, I speak directly to you," _her voice said, as lightning flashed all around him, "_I am looking at your precious Ginny Weasley right now, as I speak to you. I can see the fear in her eyes, but I can also see the love she has for you. If you wish to see that look in her eyes ever again, you will meet me tomorrow morning at sunrise where you murdered the love of my life. Or you could find us before then. I wouldn't mind. But do you really want to sacrifice the lives of those who have trusted you to lead this battle? Are you really going to allow them to fight for you while you come and search for your precious girlfriend? I'll help you make your choice. I won't harm her unless you fail to meet me by sunrise. You have my word."_

The lightning left his body and Harry fell to the ground. Students started to crowd around him, but McGonagall pushed them back.

"Potter!" she said, "You should be burnt to a crisp!"

"It wasn't real lightning," Harry said, "It was a message only for me. Professor, we have less than an hour."

McGonagall nodded and she stood up straight. As McGonagall addressed the students, Harry thought about what Daphne said to him. She wasn't planning on harming Ginny. She only wanted him to meet her, and she wanted it on her terms.

Draco had been right. Daphne could read him like an open book. She knew what Harry had gone through last time, and she was hoping he would do the same this time. During the first Battle of Hogwarts, he had searched for the Horcruxes, and allowed his friends to die for him while he did so. He couldn't do that this time. If Daphne wanted a battle, he was going to give her one.

-  
**Decided to end it right there! More to come soon! **


	62. Reinforcements

**Chapter 62  
Reinforcements**

**Author's Note: I will be repeating Daphne's speech in this chapter to show you what she was doing during the speech.**

**(Ginny's PoV – ten minutes earlier)**

All Ginny could see was darkness. It had been that way for a good twenty minutes now. She wondered how many miles away from Harry she was now. She knew she she had been kidnapped by members of the rogue group Harry and Ron had been searching for, for the past couple of months.

She could breathe, and she could hear things. Voices were talking, though their they were low and Ginny couldn't understand what they were saying. She concentrated on other things she could hear and feel. The ground beneath her feet was dirt and grass, and she kept walking over twigs on the ground. She could hear birds flying over heard, and even in the distance, maybe a wolf howl and branches break. Suddenly, there was more voices coming from all over. She even heard the sound of a girl whimpering nearby.

"You got her?" Daphne said, "Good."

"I know that voice!" a girl's voice said, "Daphne? Is that you?"

"Silence, Astoria," Daphne said.

Ginny knew who the whimpering girl was. It was Astoria Greengrass. Daphne's sister and Draco Malfoy's girlfriend.

"Daphne!" Astoria said, "What are you doing!"

"I said silence!" Daphne said, "No! Do not harm her!"

"I see you got Potter's girl?" a man's voice asked, and Ginny recognized the voice of Blaise Zabini.

Suddenly, the bag was pulled off Ginny's head. Voices laughed and cheered around her. Ginny adjusted her eyes, and realized she was in the middle of the Forbidden Forest, in a large clearing. She was surrounded by a large group of men and women. She recognized some of them, but not most.

Daphne Greengrass nodded and Ginny was forced back against a tree. Daphne pointed her wand at Ginny, and large ropes flew out of it, toward Ginny, wrapping around her and tying her against the large tree. She couldn't move her hands, but she could look around. Nearby, Astoria was tied up against another tree, and her vision was blocked by a blindfold around her face.

"Silence!" Daphne said, "I need concentration!"

The clearing went deathly silent. Daphne closed her eyes.

"My Lord, give me strength so I may do this," Daphne whispered.

Ginny watched as Daphne raised her wand straight up in the air and put her other hand on her wand as well. Suddenly, a shocking, blew lightning beam shot out of her wand into the sky. Ginny looked up and a thick black cloud started to form in the sky. Then it moved away, and Ginny knew it was headed for Hogwarts.

Ginny looked back at Daphne. Her eyes were open, but her pupils were rolled back, so that Ginny could only see the whites of her eyes. Ginny's lips quivered in fear, and she wasn't the only one. Several of Daphne's comrades looked at each other in fear. Nobody knew what Daphne was doing. Suddenly, Daphne opened her mouth.

"Harry Potter!" she whispered.

Ginny's eyes widened. Was Harry at Hogwarts then? How did Daphne know? But this suddenly wasn't on the front of Ginny's mind. Daphne's whisper was a chilling reminder to Ginny. It sounded like the same whisper Voldemort had used when he gave his ultimatum at the Battle of Hogwarts.

"I'm sure you know by now just what I have planned for you this evening," Daphne said, "This castle was once the scene of a bloody and brutal battle, resulting in the deaths of Lord Voldemort and many others who I hold very dear to my heart."

Around the clearing, many of the people smiled and grinned.

"Tonight, Hogwarts will experience that battle once again," Daphne said, "But tonight, we will rewrite the history books. Do not think the same results will happen, Potter. Because you will be gravely mistaken. Just like those beliefs of the man I hold dear to my heart, I do not want innocent blood spilled this evening. I will allow anyone in Hogwarts who wishes to leave the grounds do so. I speak to all of you now. You have one hour to make your choice. Will you choose to live? Or will you choose to fight along side the Hero of the Second War, and die with him on this night? Make your choice. You have one hour."

The pupils in Daphne's eyes turned her normal color and she stared directly at Ginny. She walked over to Ginny, who thought Daphne was going to do something to her. Daphne put her wand in the air, with both hands once again and another lightning bolt, this time larger in size, shot out of the wand and into the air. Daphne's eyes bore into Ginny's.

"Harry Potter, I speak directly to you," she voice said, "I am looking at your precious Ginny Weasley right now, as I speak to you. I can see the fear in her eyes, but I can also see the love she has for you. If you wish to see that look in her eyes ever again, you will meet me tomorrow morning at sunrise where you murdered the love of my life. Or you could find us before then. I wouldn't mind. But do you really want to sacrifice the lives of those who have trusted you to lead this battle? Are you really going to allow them to fight for you while you come and search for your precious girlfriend? I'll help you make your choice. I won't harm her unless you fail to meet me by sunrise. You have my word."

Daphne lowered her wand and looked around. She then looked back at Ginny.

"You-you're not going to harm me?" Ginny asked.

"I gave my word to Potter," Daphne said. "I will not do any more harm to you."

She looked around at her comrades.

"Do you hear me?" Daphne asked, "There will be no harm done to Ginny Weasley! I've given my promise to Harry Potter. You will not harm Harry Potter tonight. You can harm his friends if they try to protect him, but Harry Potter is mine. I want him face-to-face on the same piece of floor where he murdered our Lord!"

"Harry never murdered anybody!" Ginny yelled, defiantly.

Daphne looked back at Ginny and grinned.

"He didn't, did he?" Daphne asked.

"No," Ginny said, "Never."

"And yet you watched Potter take on the my Lord in the Great Hall," Daphne said. "You must remember what happened. Potter and my Lord dueled to the death. When it was over, Potter was standing and my Lord had fallen. The force of the spells were gigantic. Nobody knew what happened in the middle of the duel. All we know is Potter stood and my Lord fell. How else do you think it happened, Weasley?"

"Voldemort's spell backfired," Ginny said, "Everyone knows that."

"Lies!" Daphne bellowed, walking up to Ginny, and putting her hands on either side of Ginny's head, "All lies! A tale told to make Potter look like the Hero everyone wants him to be. How could one single man like Potter go through a whole battle and not have to kill one person, especially when the one person who he dueled to the death ended up dead! Lies, Weasley! You and everyone else have been lied to, and only me and those you see around us know the truth! Do not tell me Potter did not kill my Lord. Do not!"

Daphne inhaled and exhaled, narrowing her eyes. She backed up and walked into the middle of the clearing. She pointed at her, and a young man about Astoria's age walked over to her, and took off Astoria's blindfold.

"D-Daphne?" Astoria asked, whimpering, "Garrett? How could you? You're my friend."

The young man named Garrett grinned and chuckled, shaking his head.

"Astoria, do you really think you know who I am?" Garrett asked.

"Of course," Astoria said, "We're friends."

"What's my last name?" Garrett asked.

Astoria sighed and shook her head.

"I never really bothered to know that," she said.

"And yet you say we're friends," Garrett said, "Surely you would have seen on my homework. My last name is Nott."

Ginny's eyes widened. This young man was –?

"You're Theodore Nott's brother?" Ginny asked.

"Half-brother," Garrett said, looking over his shoulder at Ginny, "His father had an affair with my mother."

"So that's why you're here," Ginny said, "You're wanting to avenge your father."

"My brother did that for me," Garrett said. "Maybe he didn't finish the job, but from what I hear, he didn't have to. I'm here because Daphne found out what her sister never could. How much it was worth to have someone like me in their lives."

"What are you talking about, Garrett?" Astoria asked, "You're a great guy. I've told you that."

"And yet you denied me when I asked you to the Yule Ball," Garrett said.

"Garrett, I told you," Astoria said, "I love Draco."

Garrett laughed.

"Draco Malfoy is but a shell of his former self," he said, "Everyone knows that. He's not worth anything."

"You're wrong!" Astoria said.

Garrett chuckled and shook his head. He turned around and walked back over to Pansy Parkinson. Ginny noticed that Garrett was looking at Pansy rather fondly. If Ginny wasn't mistake, it seemed there was something going on between them.

Astoria whimpered and looked at Daphne.

"Daphne, what are you doing?"Astoria said, "How could you side with these people?"

"I'm leading these people, Astoria," Daphne said, walking over to her sister. "In the memory of our Lord."

"Your lord?" Astoria asked. "Wait... Voldemort? Daphne, how could you? You know what kind of monster Voldemort was!"

Daphne chuckled and shook her head.

"That's the problem with you, Astoria!" Daphne said, "You're too soft! Daddy and Mummy were too sweet on you. They didn't raise you up right. I thought when you joined me in Slytherin all those years ago, you had finally learned something."

"I chose Slytherin because of you!" Astoria said.

"And now you choose to reject me when you should be praising me," Daphne said.

"I love you, Daph!" Astoria said, "You're my sister, and you're tearing yourself apart by living in the memory of Voldemort!"

"Silence!" Daphne said, "You do not know what I've been through! You... you don't know me anymore."

Tears went to Astoria's eyes.

"Pathetic!" Daphne scoffed.

Daphne turned and walked back to the center of the clearing, so that she was surrounded by her followers.

"Friends!" Daphne said, "Loved ones! Tonight is the night that we've been working for. We've dreamed of this for months now! Tonight we get our revenge!"

Daphne's comrades cheered.

"In less than an hour," Daphne said, "We will march on that castle and do what our loved ones couldn't do. We will fight in the memories of our loved ones. Everyone surrounding me in this clearing has lost someone they loved dearly. Most of you lost people who had died right on this soil beneath our feet. The family members and friends that you loved stood in this clearing at the moment when Voldemort made his ultimatum, calling Harry Potter to walk into this forest, and meet Voldemort, right here."

Ginny's eyes widened. This was the spot where Harry first dueled Voldemort that night and somehow survived yet another Killing Curse.

"We will march onto the soil on the grounds of Hogwarts," Daphne said, "Where our loved ones were slain brutally by murderers!"

Her comrades yelled angry words, and words of promise.

"If Harry Potter and his group of so-called 'good guys'," Daphne said, "were truly good, they would not have killed our loved ones. But they did. And they will pay for it. Tonight we turn the tide. Tonight we rewrite history. Tonight we spill the blood of those who spilled ours!"

Daphne nodded as everyone cheered.

"My comrades!" Daphne said, "Take your places in the forest! Get ready for your assault. But... you know your orders. Wait for my sign. Go!"

Most of her comrades turned.

"No!" Daphne said, pointing to her fellow school mates, "You guys stay here for now."

Everyone else turned and headed through the forest. Ginny realized that she had only seen a small number of the people. Most had been in the forest away from her sight. There had to be at least three-hundred men heading for the castle.

"What's the deal, Daphne?" Blaise asked. "Most of those guys walking toward the castle now didn't lose family members. Everyone knows that. These guys are -"

"They are pawns, Blaise," Daphne said, "I wasn't talking to them. I recruited them for the force of my army. They are reinforcements to our cause. They're just weapons."

"You're willing to let them die for us?" Blaise asked.

"You should thank me, Blaise," Daphne said, "All of you should. Without them, none of this could be possible. Without them, we wouldn't have lasted this long. Look at us. We're a handful here. We may be strong, but we'd be outnumbered. With this force, we're outnumbering them. This battle is ours. Tonight, we get our revenge."

Ginny couldn't believe what she was hearing. All those people she saw... were all just wizards and witches Daphne recruited for this battle. They meant nothing to her. Like Daphne said, they were reinforcements. Pawns to fight while Pansy and her group stayed behind until the time was right.

Ginny's mind went to Harry, as well as those who were had Hogwarts. If events were going to repeat themselves, Professor McGonagall would not allow younger students, those not of age, to fight. That would be a small force in the castle. And they must have been extremely unprepared and surprised by Daphne's warning.

Ginny wondered if there was a chance for more reinforcements to come to Hogwarts in time. It almost seemed impossible. Last time, it was the Order of the Phoenix, and men and women from Hogsmeade who had come to the aide. Now most of the Order of the Phoenix members were dead, and the rest separated after the Order had disbanded. Aurors could come, but this was a surprise attack with only an hour's notice. That didn't seem long enough.

Ginny closed her eyes. She had a very bad feeling about all of this.

-  
**(Ron's PoV)**

Ron and Hermione apparated to the Burrow, and rushed down toward it. They had just left Kingsley's office, after telling him of the attack that would happen at Hogwarts. Kingsley promised he would get all reinforcements he could in the Ministry.

"We can't tell them about Ginny, Hermione," Ron said, "I'm not going to let them go through that tonight."

"Ron, they'll find out sooner or later," Hermione said.

"Hopefully it doesn't come to that," Ron said.

Hermione nodded. Ron forced open the door and they ran into the Burrow. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley was sitting at the table.

"Mum, Dad!" Ron said, "Hogwarts is about to be under attack!"

Ron's parents looked up in alarm. Mr. Weasley stood up.

"You're sure?" he asked.

"Draco Malfoy warned us," Ron said, "Daphne's rogue group must be in the area. Probably the Forbidden Forest. Harry's already at Hogwarts. He went to warn them. We went to the Ministry to tell Kingsley, and he has Aurors going."

"Where's Ginny?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

Hermione looked up at Ron, and he steeled himself.

"She's safe," Ron lied, "Dad, Hogwarts needs help! We need more reinforcements!"

"We'll get them," Mr. Weasley said, "Where should we send them?"

"Hogsmeade," Hermione said, "Aberforth's bar."

"Just like last time," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Yes, Mum," Ron said, "Mum, we need to get back and find Harry."

"Go," Mr. Weasley said, "We'll get more reinforcements."

Mrs. Weasley ran over to Ron and Hermione and hugged them.

"I can't believe this is happening again," she said, emotion running through her voice.

"Mum, we need to go," Ron said, "Hogwarts needs us."

"Ron's right, Molly," Mr. Weasley said.

Mrs. Weasley backed up. Ron and Hermione ran back out of the Burrow and up the driveway.

"You're not telling me to stay here?" Hermione asked Ron.

"I told you, Hermione," Ron said, "I wasn't going to leave your side tonight. I meant it. I refuse to split up from you tonight, so don't even ask me to."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Hermione said.

They reached the end of the driveway, and Ron held tightly onto Hermione's hand. Moments later, they were back in Hogsmeade... and they were not alone. A number of men in Auror robes were walking toward Aberforth's bar, and a number of students were running out and heading for the Three Broomsticks. Ron and Hermione ran through them and toward the Hog's Head."

"Hermione!" a voice said, "Ron!"

Ron and Hermione turned. Neville and Hannah were walking up to them.

"Harry said you were going for reinforcements," Neville said, "Nice turn-out!"

"More's coming," Ron said, "We hope."

"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Before we left to take this lot of students to the Room of Requirement," Neville said, "He was helping McGonagall sort out the students who are staying to fight. I guess he's helping everyone set up the defenses now."

"You coming back to the castle, Neville?" Ron asked.

"Of course!" Neville said, "I wouldn't miss this for the world! See you there after I help this lot! Oi!"

He turned to students who were standing around, looking at all the Aurors.

"Into the Leaky Cauldron, guys! Don't dawdle!" Neville said, then turned back to Ron and Hermione, "I think I saw the Minister at Aberforth's. Guess he's leading this thing!"

"Thanks, Neville!" Ron said, "See you soon."

"Leave some bad guys for me, eh?" Neville asked.

Ron and Hermione turned around and headed for the Hog's head. A number of men crowded inside, including Kingsley Shacklebolt. Ron and Hermione ran over to him.

"My Dad and Mum are getting more reinforcements," Ron said. "They told us to come back here."

"Draco's not here yet?" Hermione asked.

"Someone say my name?" a voice asked.

Ron and Hermione turned. Draco was walking over to them.

"Sorry I'm late," he said, "Been helping Neville and Hannah bring out the kiddies."

Draco's eyes sparkled as he looked around.

"Impressive, guys," he said, "Seems you brought the force."

"I've been looking for you for quite a while, Mr. Malfoy," Kingsley said.

"Well, you found me," Draco said, "Now either you can arrest me or you can follow us. Either way, according to Daphne's warning, by the end of this hour, there is going a very large group attacking Hogwarts."

"Daphne's warning?" Ron asked.

"Loud as anything I've ever heard!" Aberforth said, near the bar, "The blasted witch said she is trying to recreate the Battle of Hogwarts, like you said she is, and she is doing a damn good job of it! I thought someone had taken me on a ride on a time-turner and I was back at that night!"

"Aberforth, you really need to lay off your drink," Draco said, "Well, what are we waiting for? Are you just going to stand here, Minister?"

"Lead the way, Mr. Malfoy," Kingsley said.

Kingsley backed up.

"Aurors!" Kingsley's voice boomed, "Group up! Do your duty to Hogwarts! This is what you're trained for! Follow these three and you'll be at the castle in no time!"

Draco, Ron and Hermione walked over to the portrait hole, climbed into it and led the group of Aurors down the long tunnel.

"Draco," Ron said, "When you said 'a very large group', just how large did you mean?"

"My first meeting with Daphne and her group," Draco said, "There were a group of about fifty people whom I had never met before. By the next meeting it had doubled in size. The next meeting, it had tripled. I don't know where Daphne's gotten these guys, but if I know her, she probably has three-hundred large in her army."

"She knows that many people?" Hermione asked.

"They're pawns, Granger," Draco said, "Daphne can be very persuasive. Not everyone has gone all friendly toward Potter, you know. All Daphne had to do was find people who believed what Voldemort was doing was the right thing. She'd tell them she was going to avenge Voldemort, and they'd fall at her feet like that. Daphne doesn't know any of these people. She's willing to let them die just so she can get what she wants."

"That is absolutely disgusting," Hermione said.

Draco laughed and turned around.

"You don't know Daphne like I do, Granger," he said, "She may be mental, but she's also sharp. She's been planning this for months now. Now her plans are going into effect, and she is more prepared for this than we could ever possibly be."

Draco looked from Hermione to Ron, then looked past them and toward the Aurors.

"I really hope your Auror friends are up for quite a battle, Weasley," Draco said, "We're in for a rough night."

**Thought I'd end this chapter right there! Woo, this is getting exciting!**

**Hope you liked it!**


	63. Fire And Lightning

**Chapter 63  
Fire And Lightning**

**Author's Note: I was recently asked if I am going to have another sequel to this story. I thought about two different stories I could do, one that would be a direct sequel to this, and one that would be a sequel but five years in the future. I don't know if I am going to do either of them. It is just an idea I have. **

**(Harry's PoV)**

The sights around the castle was haunting. The mood was tense, but fairly quiet. Harry felt like he was back at the time of the original Battle of Hogwarts, during those few minutes before the battle started. Back then he was searching for the Diadem Horcrux, while everyone else was preparing for the battle. Today, he was right alongside with the students and Professors preparing for this battle.

He had a mission tonight: to find and protect Ginny. But he knew that Daphne would not let him find Ginny until she was ready. No matter how much it hurt him to think about it, he would have to wait. He knew Ginny would be safe until Daphne was ready. So his mission right now was to protect Hogwarts and everyone around him who fought for the castle.

Everywhere Harry would walk, he could see students and Professors at various locations standing against walls and on the battlements that faced the Forbidden Forest where it was thought that Daphne's rogue group would strike from. Other Professors and students were running around to other locations, some were muttering incantations and talking to each other about what they should be doing. .

Suddenly, a large gust of wind came down the corridor where Harry was standing and he heard a large cracking sound on the wall. At first he thought the battle had begun, but then he saw one of the suits of armor jump down from its perch and walk down the hallway. All throughout the corridor, at least half a dozen suits of armor did the same thing and marched past the students, who were looking at them with awe.

Professor McGonagall walked around the corner of the corridor and toward Harry.

"I see you've invited some old friends to the party," Harry said, looking at a suit of armor walking past them.

"They were practically begging to join us," McGonagall said, "Unfortunately this isn't enough. I think every member of the student body who is of age is here, and yet, the number is still small. I hope Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger have done their jobs."

"I was just going to go and check on that, Professor," Harry said.

"I will make sure everyone is in their spots," McGonagall said. "We have something we didn't have last time, Harry. And we can use it."

"What is that?" Harry asked.

"Knowledge," McGonagall said, "We know the weak spots of the castle. We know where they can get in easily."

"That's something," Harry said.

"Yes, Harry," McGonagall said, "Yes it is. Now go. Get me more help to fill these holes along the battlements!"

Harry nodded and ran off down the corridor toward the Grand Staircase. He reached the staircase and found that inhabitants of portraits were moving around again, wondering what was going on.

"Sir Potter!" Sir Cadogan said, "How glorious to see you back on these noble grounds!"

"Can't talk now, Sir Cadogan," Harry said, running up stairs "Very busy!"

Sir Cadogan ran through portraits, trying to catch up to Harry.

"A quest?" Sir Cadogan said, "Perhaps another hunt for a foul object?"

"Not tonight," Harry said, "Tonight, I defend these grounds!"

"May your sword protect you this evening, Sir Potter!" Sir Cadogan said as he ran out of portraits to run through, "May you live to see the sunrise, be it blood-red or a glorious yellow!"

Harry arrived at the desired floor and ran toward the Room of Requirement. As he turned down the corridor, men dressed in Auror robes were running toward him.

"Auror Potter!" one of the Aurors said, "We are on your orders, according to Minister Shacklebolt."

"Go where you are needed!" Harry said, "Protect the students and the castle they fight for."

"Yes, sir!" the Auror said, "Come on, you lot. You heard Auror Potter!"

Harry ran through the large group of Aurors rushing past him. He made his way to the Room of Requirement and ran inside. He found Hermione and Ron just outside the large hole that opened up from the tunnel. Aurors were still pouring out of the tunnel.

"There he is!" Ron said, pointing toward Harry, "Harry!"

Harry ran over to them.

"Did you see Malfoy?" Hermione asked.

"Not since he ran up here," Harry said.

"He was with us until we got out of the tunnel," Hermione said, "Then he ran off saying he had to find Astoria. You don't think he's going into the forest by himself, do you?"

"Bloody fool!" Harry said, "If he goes in, he's likely to get killed. He -"

"Harry!" a voice said, coming from the tunnel.

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked up at the tunnel. Luna Lovegood, her father, Xenophilius and her boyfriend, Rolf Scamander were at the entrance of the tunnel.

"Luna, what are you doing here?" Harry asked.

"Ron's father contacted us!" Luna said, "We had to come!"

"I was never a student here, Mr. Potter," Rolf said, "But I had to come to fight for the school Luna loves."

"More people are coming," Luna said, "I used our old coins for Dumbledore's Army. After the last Battle of Hogwarts, everyone started keeping them. And Ron's father said he's going to get a few more friends."

"Luna," Harry said, "Can you stay here and greet everyone who comes through? We need to get down to the others."

"It would be my pleasure," Luna said.

"Tell everyone who comes to get down to the outside corridors and battlements of the castle," Harry said, "Tell them to look for anyone ready to fight."

"We'll give them the message, Harry," Rolf said.

"Good luck tonight, Mr. Potter," Xenophilius said.

"You too, Mr. Lovegood," Harry said.

"Mr. Potter," a voice said.

Harry looked over Xenophilius' shoulder. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy were standing there. Ron and Hermione looked absolutely shocked.

"We heard our son was here tonight," Lucius said. "Would you know where he is?"

"Astoria Greengrass has been kidnapped, Mr. Malfoy," Harry said. "I think he's gone to look for her."

Lucius nodded, and Narcissa had tears in her eyes.

"You're here to fight for Hogwarts?" Ron asked.

"Narcissa and I were students first before I raked into Voldemort's grasp, Mr. Weasley," Lucius said, "I think we have as many reasons to be here as you do. Now if you excuse us, we have to look for our son."

Lucius and Narcissa raced off out of the Room of Requirement.

"I would have never predicted that one," Ron said.

"Come on!" Harry said.

Ron and Hermione followed Harry out of the Room of Requirement.

"What's the plan, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"I'm trying to figure that one as we go along, Hermione," Harry said.

If Harry had looked back at Ron and Hermione, while he was rushing back toward the Grand Staircase, he would have seen them look at each other with expressions that clearly read "we should have known."

As they reached the bottom floor of Hogwarts, Harry knew the battle would be starting before too long. Daphne had given her warning almost an hour ago. Harry took a glance in the Great Hall. A make-shift Hospital Wing was already being constructed by Madam Pomfrey, as well as a number of Ministry workers who must have made their way into the castle with the Aurors.

"Draco!" Lucius Malfoy's voice rang out.

Harry turned and saw Lucius and Narcissa running through the large oak front doors of Hogwarts. Harry could just make out a man with short blonde hair running down the steps. Harry ran toward the doors.

"Harry!" Hermione said, "Wait for us!"

Harry reached the doors and saw Draco starting across the grounds. Harry took his wand out and pointed it at the grounds a ways in front of Draco. A large fire wall rose for feet in front of Draco, who stopped in his tracks. Draco growled and turned around. Lucius and Narcissa ran up to Draco, who was clearly distraught.

"Harry!" Hermione gasped, "What did you do?"

"Draco!" Harry said, walking across the grounds toward him, as Ron and Hermione followed, "What are you doing?"

Hermione and Ron doused the large wall of fire.

"Astoria's in there, Potter!" Draco screamed, "I have to go in there! I helped you bring in the reinforcements, and now I have to go get her!"

"And what are you going to do when you get to the forest, Draco, eh?" Harry asked, "Take out every one of those men yourself? Did you ever think of that?"

"I thought you, out of everyone here," Draco said, "Would be the one to agree with me. Ginny's in there as well, Harry! Why aren't you trying to rush in there yourself?"

"Because I know it wouldn't help me or Ginny," Harry said. "Astoria and Ginny are bait. Daphne wants us to go in there. If you go in there, you're going to get yourself killed. Then what would Astoria do? Do you obviously think you're going to help yourself or Astoria by walking in there?"

Draco groaned and turned toward the forest. He turned around, rushed past his parents and over to Harry.

"You promise me, Potter!" Draco said, almost sobbing, "You promise me I'm not going to lose her tonight!"

"You have my promise, Draco," Harry said. "Even if it is the last thing I do before this battle is over, I will make sure you have Astoria back in your arms and safe."

"You better keep your promise," Draco said, "Or I will never forgive you."

"Come on, Draco," Lucius said, walking up to his son, "We're not helping anyone by standing out here."

Draco growled and walked back up to the castle. Harry turned and heard a sudden sound of feet marching. At first he thought it was Daphne's rogue group coming, but the sound was coming from the castle.

Every one of the Aurors in attendance were marching out of the castle in rows of five and walking onto the grounds. They all nodded to Harry and Ron as they walked past them. They formed two long lines, one behind the other, and created a barrier of wizards and witches standing between the forest and the castle. Behind them, the suits of armor marched down the steps and walked in front of the Aurors.

"Lifeless statues of metal with no minds," one of the Aurors growled, as a suit of armor took a spot feet in front of him.

"Auror!" Harry said, walking over to the Auror who had spoken up, "What is your name, sir?"

"Auror Logan Henrick," the Auror said.

"Were you here during the last Battle of Hogwarts, Auror Henrick?" Harry asked.

"No, sir," the Auror said, "I never got that privilege."

"Well, I was here," Harry said, "And I watched these suits of armor defend people from spells and debris and Death Eaters, uncaring if their bodies of metal and stone were torn apart, because they were a part of this castle. Does that sound like a lifeless statue with no mind to you?"

Auror Henrick shook his head but remained silent.

"I'm counting only a little over one-hundred Aurors here, Harry," Hermione said.

"One-hundred Aurors!" Harry said, to the Aurors, as he walked along them. "How many members of Daphne's group is expected to be in the forest?"

"At least three-hundred," Ron said, as he and Hermione followed Harry, "According to Draco."

"One-hundred Aurors," Harry said, to the Aurors, "Against at least three-hundred enemies. That is at least three-to-one outnumbering you. I've seen this force earlier tonight rip apart of the Leaky Cauldron before anyone could do anything about it. These people are brutal and they do not care who they hurt. They are here for one purpose: to avenge the deaths of the Death Eaters and Voldemort himself! Three hundred enemies."

"We can take them on, sir," another Auror said.

"Can you?" Harry asked. "Aurors! If you agree with your man here, I can ask these suits of armor to walk back into the castle because we don't have to worry about them fighting for us. Is that what you want?"

Nobody spoke up.

"I didn't think so," Harry said. "You're our front line. There are students and the general population willing to fight with you in that castle. People you have been sworn to protect every day as an Auror. Will you, tonight, keep the oath you have sworn?"

"Sir, yes, sir!" the Aurors said in unison.

"Good luck, everyone," Harry said.

"Harry!" Hermione gasped.

Harry spun around. Hundreds of figures were walking toward the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

"Get inside!" Harry yelled to Ron and Hermione, "Aurors! Do your duty to your oath and to the school!"

Harry followed Ron and Hermione as the ran back toward the castle. When they went inside, a number of people they recognized were rushing down the steps. Members of Dumbledore's Army, students Harry hadn't seen since he had graduated from Hogwarts, were standing together, ready for something to do. There were cries of "Harry!" as Harry ran past his fellow students. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, as well as Bill, Charlie, Percy, George and Angelina were standing near the Great Hall. Harry, Ron and Hermione walked over to them.

"I didn't expect all of you to come," Ron said, "After what happened -"

"We won't let that happen tonight, Ron," George said.

"Hermione!" Brady Sexton's voice said.

Brady ran down the stairs, toward them.

"Brady, what are you doing here?" Hermione asked.

"Had to come," Brady said, "Wouldn't miss this."

"But... you're not a fighter," Hermione said.

"Tonight, I am," Brady said.

Hermione nodded and hugged Brady, much to Ron's displeasure.

"Be safe, Brady," Hermione said.

"You too," Brady said.

He nodded to Ron and Harry.

Suddenly, a loud scream wrenched the air. Harry spun around just as a large black cloud entered the Entrance Hall and hovered above them.

"What the bloody hell?" Ron asked.

_"So," _Daphne said, _"Even after my warning, you still stand in Hogwarts with Harry Potter. I applaud your bravery, but it was all for nothing. Tonight you will all fall right alongside your so-called Hero of the Second War. I give you one last chance to escape, before I call my army forward. Let me give you a taste of what you're about to suffer __this evening."_

The black clouds swirled overhead, and a lightning beam erupted from the sky and came down toward them. Harry watched in horror as the lightning bolt hit Hermione's friend, Brady, lighting up his whole body in a brilliant, horrifying blue light. The lightning then stopped and Brady fell to the ground. Smoke billowed from around him.

"No!" Hermione shrieked, "Brady!"

Ron held Hermione back, hugging him against her. She sobbed against his chest.

"You can't do anything, Hermione!" Ron said, "He's gone."

"_I give you this last chance," _Daphne said, _"Leave Harry Potter's side... or die."_

"Never!" Aberforth Dumbledore said, at the top of the stairs, "Do you hear me, you cold witch! Never!"

Around Harry, everyone cheered.

"_You have chosen... poorly," _Daphne said.

Daphne's last words echoed throughout the castle, as the black clouds disappeared. A tumultuous roar suddenly came from the direction of the Forbidden Forest.

"Protego Maxima!" dozens of voices said outside on the grounds and in the corridors.

Harry, and dozens of others ran forward toward the corridors.

"Everyone!" Harry bellowed, "Find spots in the castle! We have to be ready if they get through the front lines!"

Everyone in the corridors bellowed in agreement as they ran toward their locations around the castle. Harry looked out one of the windows as a large shield covered the sky, and was hit with a barrage of crackling spells that resembled fireworks.

"Our shields can't hold them for too long!" Professor Flitwick piped up down the corridor.

"Let them come," Aberforth growled, as he walked behind Harry.

Suddenly, the ground thudded below their feet and Harry looked in the direction of the forest. Daphne's army was running out of the forest, as suits of armor marched toward them.

The Battle of Hogwarts had begun.

-  
**I'm just getting started! Hope you liked this chapter! **


	64. Draco's Vision

**Chapter 64  
Draco's Vision **

**(Draco's PoV – a few minutes earlier)**

Draco ran down a corridor that lead toward the clock tower and the southern courtyards of the castle. No matter what Harry had said, Draco knew he needed to get into the forest and get Astoria. When he saw the large group of Daphne's men at the edge of the Forbidden Forest near the front of the castle, he realized that there was an open spot near the backside of the castle that he could get through undetected. **  
**

"_You have chosen... poorly," _Daphne's voice echoed over Draco's head.

Draco stopped and looked overhead. Daphne's last warning. The battle was about to begin.

_"Draco," _a voice said.

Draco turned around, looking for the voice. Was it his parents? He had gotten away from his parents after losing them in the crowd in the Entrance Hall, but he knew they'd come after him.

As soon as Draco ran in the courtyard, he saw Professor Slughorn running toward him, panting.

"Oh, dear boy!" Professor Slughorn said, "I wouldn't go that way if I were you! I saw at least two dozen men coming from Hagrid's Hut! I've set explosive potions on the bridge and setting a trap for them! You don't want to go on the bridge, believe me! One spark would blow the whole thing!"

"I'll take my chances!" Draco growled.

"Don't do any spells!" Slughorn yelled, as Draco ran off.

Draco ran across the courtyard toward the bridge. Feet from the bridge, he stopped at a horrifying sight. He saw a large black cloud lift out of the trees just beyond the bridge, float across the top of the bridge and go over his head. Draco pointed his wand up in the air, thinking of a spell to attack the cloud.

_"Draco,"_ the same voice said. _"Come and claim her."  
_

Draco's eyes widened as he realized who's voice it was. Daphne was calling for him. Suddenly, a lightning beam came from the cloud and, before Draco could do anything, hit him. He was surrounded in a brilliant flash of blue then all of a sudden blackness...

White lights flashed in his eyes...

_When Draco could see again, he was was walking down the bridge, and toward the forest. No. He seemed to be running very quickly...or flying? He was moving very fast, almost as if he was on a broom. The trees were moving past him, as he went through the forest. Then he stopped suddenly and heard voices..._

_"Draco will come get me!" Astoria said. "You'll see!"_

_"Oh, I can almost guarantee that he will come and get you," Daphne said. "Because that is exactly what I want him to do."_

_"I'm here, Astoria!" Draco yelled out._

_He ran through the trees and arrived in a large clearing. Trees seemed to spaced out here. Almost like a large hole in the middle of the forest... a meadow, though it had no grass or flowers, only dirt and twigs and weeds. Daphne, Pansy, and a few of Draco's old classmates were standing there. Daphne turned around. Then he saw Astoria tied up to a tree. She looked pale and scared but uninjured. Ginny Weasley was tied up to another tree._

_"Oh, you're not here just yet," Daphne said, "But you'll be here."_

_"What do you mean?" Draco asked, "I am here!"_

_Daphne laughed and the others joined in. Daphne walked over to Astoria and pointed her wand at her sister. She turned back to Draco._

_"If you want her," Daphne said, "Come and claim her. I will not hurt her. You brought Harry Potter back to the castle. You can claim your reward. All you have to do is return to me. Will you do it, Draco... Draco... Draco?"_

"Draco!" Lucius' voice said, "Son! Are you okay?"

"He's not responding!" Narcissa's voice said, "Is he –?"

Draco blinked, and opened his eyes a little. Instead of standing in the middle of a forest, he was laying down on a cobbled floor. His parents were kneeling over him.

"Oh, thank Merlin!" Narcissa said.

"Where – where am I?" Draco asked.

"You're in the courtyard" Lucius said, "Draco, we have to move. Horace Slughorn said the bridge is going to explode. We can't stay here!"

"The bridge?" Draco asked, sitting up, "No – no, I was in the forest! I saw Astoria! She was there! They had her!"

Draco stood up. What had happened. He had seen Astoria! He was feet from her. He could have grabbed her.

"We'll get her, son," Lucius said, "But we can't right now. We need to go back to the castle."

"Go then!" Draco growled. "Go, you cowards! I'm not leaving her!"

"Draco!" Narcissa moaned, "No."

"Sorry, Mother," Draco said.

Draco turned and ran off down the bridge. He had been in the forest. Why was he back on the bridge? Was it a vision? That cloud... that lightning bolt? Had Daphne done something to him?

He ran to the edge of the bridge and looked around. He had just been here. Before he had gone into the forest. Then he suddenly realized what was going on.

"She was showing me the way," Draco said.

"Draco!" his mother's voice yelled, "Run!"

Draco looked up. At least half a dozen men were walking out of the forest.

"Get back here before they kill you!" Lucius said

Draco shook his and turned. He raised his wand.

"What are you doing?" Lucius yelled.

"Go!" Draco yelled.

He raised his wand and pointed it at the bridge.

"One spark will blow up the whole thing," Draco recited.

In the bridge, Lucius' eyes went wide. He shook his head.

"Go," Draco said.

Draco watched as his father grabbed his mother's arm and ran off down the bridge back toward the castle.

"Reducto!" Draco yelled.

A red beam shot out of Draco's wand and hit the edge of the bridge. Draco was blown back as his end of the bridge started to explode. Suddenly, pieces and portions of the bridge started to explode and fall away from his end. Draco watched as his parents ran back toward the castle just in time as the bridge fell away, leaving a wide hole in the ground.

"Goodbye," Draco said to his parents.

"Oi!" one of the men behind him yelled, "The brat blew up the bridge! How are we supposed to get to the castle now?"

Draco grinned and turned around.

"Get him!" the man yelled.

As the men started to run, there was a huge roar coming from the forest. Suddenly, Grawp, Hagrid's giant half-brother ran through a couple of trees and, with one long arm and fist, hit the men in front of him with a large swinging motion.

The one man he missed pointed his wand up at the large giant and sent a red spark toward him. Grawp roared and lifted one of his feet, then sent it crushing down on the man. Draco heard a loud yelp and a crunch.

Draco walked slowly toward the forest, toward Grawp.

"Slow down, big guy," Draco said, as he walked toward him, "I'm one of Hagrid's friends."

"HAGGER!" Grawp yelled.

"Yeah," Draco said, "Friend!"

"FRIEND!" Grawp yelled, "HAGGER!"

"Yes, you great -" Draco said, then stopped himself; he knew it wasn't wise to call this creature names, "I got to get going. Thanks for..."

Draco gulped as he looked at the ruin of men on the ground.

"Yeah... that," he said.

Grawp grunted. Draco nodded and ran into the forest. Somehow, as his feet started going forward, he realized just where he needed to go.

**(Hermione's PoV)  
**

Hermione and Ron hadn't followed Harry and everyone else into the corridors. Hermione hadn't seen the spells collide with the large shield, sent up from the army of Aurors and Professors. She could barely hear the spells as they collided with the medal and stone of the suits of armor, or the clash of surviving suits of armor as they ran into some of the army of rogue wizards coming their way. She could barely hear the spells from the Aurors as they tried to fend off the rogue group.

Hermione's current focus was on Brady, whom she was kneeling by. She knew there had to be some way to help him. She put her hand toward his arm, and shuddered as she only felt burned, red flesh.

"Hermione!" Ron said, "You can't help him! He's gone!"

"No!" Hermione cried, "He can't –"

Ron kneeled next down next to Hermione and held her hand that had been pressing against Brady's burned flesh.

"Do you remember what you said to me after we saw Fred die?" Ron asked. "How you -"

"How I told you we had to fight," Hermione said, through her tears.

"And you said we couldn't do anything for him at that moment," Ron said, "We can't do anything for Brady right now. He was here to fight for us."

"He never got a chance, Ron!" Hermione cried, "That – witch – brought him down before he could!"

"So you fight for him!" Ron said. "You do what he can't do anymore!"

"I can watch over him, Miss Granger," Madam Pomfrey's soft voice came up from behind them. "I promise we'll treat him with great respect."

"H-he deserves it," Hermione said.

Suddenly, they heard a loud explosion, followed by many more, coming from the southern side of the castle.

"Hermione!" Ron said, "We have to go!"

Hermione looked down at Brady. She nodded and took Ron's hand, and they ran toward the corridor's opening.

"Someone blew up the south bridge!" Oliver Wood screamed at the other end of the corridor, "Didn't see anyone besides our guys though! Looks like they won't be able to get in on that end!"

"We can't hold them off!" a voice said behind Hermione and Ron.

Hermione and Ron turned around. A man in Auror robes was standing in the doorway of the Entrance Hall.

"They're starting to break through our ranks!" the Auror said, "They're –"

Suddenly a red beam hit the back of the Auror, and he fell to the ground. Then another beam hit one of the large front doors of the castle. The door fell off its hinges and teetered back and forth before coming down with a crash on top of the Auror. Hermione cried out.

"To the front entrance!" Bill Weasley said behind Ron and Hermione.

Bill and a number of wizards, including a few of their fellow students from Dumbledore's Army, ran past them into the Entrance Hall and over to where the doors stood.

"Bill!" Ron said.

Spells started to fly over their heads. One spell hit Ernie McMillan's robes, which started to go up in flames. Ernie screamed in horror. Ron and Hermione rushed over across the room and, with her wand, doused Ernie's robes.

Around Hermione, Bill and the group of wizards and witches started running out the doors. Hermione looked up to see a group of rogue wizards coming toward the group, and Bill sent a large fireball out of his wand which ignited the ground between Bill's small army at the rogue wizards.

"Go help your brother!" Hermione said to Ron.

"I'm not leaving you!" Ron said.

"I got to help Ernie," Hermione said.

"I'm fine!" Ernie said, "Go help them! I can' take care of these burns myself! Go!"

Hermione grabbed Ron's arm and they ran outside toward Bill's group. All of a sudden, the fire raised up into the air and made the shape of a large snake. A large fireball erupted from the fire-snake's mouth and headed right toward Ron and Hermione. Hermione pushed Ron out of the way and they both narrowly escaped the fireball. Hermione pointed her wand at the snowy ground and a large wave of snow erupted from the ground and encased the fire-snake, dousing it. Spells went back and forth between Bill's group and the rogue wizards. Hermione and Ron sent out a few of their own, and one of Hermione's hit a men and sent him flying toward the ground, unconscious.

Suddenly, the ground below them rumbled and Hermione looked to her left. More of the members of the rogue group had broken through the Aurors, whose numbers were depleting.

"Retreat!" Hermione yelled.

Hermione, Ron, Bill and the students hurried back toward the castle. As soon as they arrived, Harry and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were standing there, pointing their wands toward the door.

"They're coming!" Ron yelled.

"Not yet they aren't!" Harry said, "Now!"

Hermione and Ron turned as the two large doors raised into the air, then slammed against the large opening. Steel met stone.

"Hermione, Ron, Bill!" Harry said, "Fire!'"

Hermione pointed her wand at the door and sent a wave of fire toward the door. Ron and Bill joined in, and soon the doors had smelted against the stone, creating a barricade. Hissing sounds, followed by screaming were heard on the other side. The rogue group was trying to get in, but the heat of the doors was burning them as they tried to push through.

"It won't hold for long!" Mr. Weasley said.

"Move!" Harry said.

"Molly and I will take a group of students and guard the Great Hall," Mr. Weasley said, "We won't let them get to the injured."

Suddenly, they heard a great crash behind them in the corridor. Pieces of the ceiling was falling in. Windows were exploding, sending the defenders diving away from the shards of glass.

"Fight!" Aberforth yelled, "Get up! Fight! Keep them back!"

Hermione, Ron and Harry ran into the corridor.

"Shields!" Professor McGonagall ordered at the other end of the corridor, "Protego!"

"Protego!" Hermione, Ron, Harry, and many others said.

Their shields formed through the windows and melted together just as a barrage of spells hit them. The bursts and sounds of crackles erupted around them.

"Offensive spells!" Harry yelled.

A barrage of their own spells erupted from their wands and aimed toward the rogue group. Several had been taken down, but Hermione had counted at least one hundred coming their way, and knew more were out of her sights.

"Aurors!" Kingsley's magnified voice said, as Hermione saw him running down the corridor, "Stay in your positions! The rest of you get deeper in the castle! They are coming in!"

Students screamed and ran down the corridor past them. Others ran down the other end of the corridor and headed down toward the south end of the school.

"The Grand Staircase!" Neville said, as he ran past hand-in-hand with Hannah Abbot, "We can hold them off in the higher levels!"

"Good thinking, boy!" Aberforth yelled, as he ran past.

Hermione and Ron ran toward the Entrance Hall, but Harry was staying at the windows.

"Harry?" Hermione yelled.

"Ron and I are Aurors," Harry said, "We have to stay here!"

"Harry, no!" Ron said.

"I have to be down here to get to Ginny!" Harry said.

"Harry!" Hermione said, "If you stay down here -"

"Go, Mr. Potter!" Kingsley said, "The others will have better chance if you lead them!"

"Minister?" Harry asked.

"You heard me, Harry!" Kingsley said, "Go!"

"We'll get Ginny soon, Harry!" Hermione said, "But we have to get through the rogue army!"

Harry nodded and he, Hermione and Harry ran into the Entrance Hall. Aberforth was standing at the top of the stairs that lead to the Grand Staircase.

"Come on, Potter!" Aberforth roared.

Suddenly, the sound of shuddering steel was heard behind Hermione. A large hole was beginning to form in the doors that had been smelted against the entrance. A green beam zoomed through the air, narrowly missing Hermione, Ron and Harry, who ducked. Suddenly, there was a very loud "OH!" followed by a sickening crunch.

"No!" Harry yelled.

Hermione spun around.

"Stupefy!" she yelled, as did a few of the defenders standing outside the Great Hall. .

The spells zoomed through the hole in the large doors at the entrance, and thuds were heard as numerous rogue army members fell to the ground. More spells went to the door, smelting the steel over the hole.

"Aberforth!" Harry yelled.

Hermione spun back around. She grabbed Ron's hand and ran up the stairs toward Harry. Harry was looking down at floor at the bottom of the Grand Staircase. Hermione gasped at what she saw.

The body of Aberforth Dumbledore was sprawled out on the ground. The last member of one of the most famous families in the wizarding world had met his fate.

-  
**Okay... as I was writing this, I realized that this battle isn't going to be able to last as long as I want it to. It will end long before sunrise, I think. Ah well.**

**Hope you liked this chapter!**


	65. Chapter 65: No Title

**Chapter 65  
No Title**

**Author's Note: Couldn't think of a title for this chapter. **

**(Ron's PoV)**

"We can't do anything for him!" Harry said, "We have to move!"

"Harry, I can't leave my parents behind," Ron said, "They're guarding the Great Hall."

"Ron, we can't stay down here!" Hermione said, "They'll be coming in!"

"Exactly!" Ron said, "I'm not going to lose my parents, Hermione!"

Ron narrowed his eyes. Hermione sighed.

"Okay," Hermione said, "I have a plan. Besides, I'm not leaving you behind, Ron."

"I'm not leaving either of you behind!" Harry said, "What are we doing?"

"Come on!" Hermione said.

Ron ran with Hermione and Harry down the stairs, and back to the Great Hall.

"What are you doing here?" Mr. Weasley asked, when he saw them, "Get back up those stairs. They'll be coming."

"You're not going to be able to fight them off down here, Arthur," Hermione said, "We need to get the injured upstairs. Some of us can fight out here while Madam Pomfrey and the the Ministry workers bring the injured and dead upstairs."

Suddenly, steel moaned behind them.

"They're coming!" Harry yelled.

"I''ll warn everyone inside," Mrs. Weasley said.

Mrs. Weasley retreated into the Great Hall. Repeated bangs on the steel doors echoed around the entrance hall. Pieces of the steel doors started to bulge in. The barricade was slowly starting to break away from the door. Behind Ron and the group of defenders, Mrs. Weasley, Madam Pomfrey and Ministry workers were escorting cots of injured students and others toward the Grand Staircase.

"Incendio!" Hermione yelled, pointing her wand at the steel door.

Others echoed her, and sent fire onto the steel doors. The steel hissed and yells of pain screeched on the other side of the door.

"No use! No use!" a gruff man on the other side of the door yelled.

"I know another way in!" a female voice said, "Come!"

"Are they retreating?" Ron asked, hopefully.

Suddenly, they heard the loud sounds of whooshing around them and ended up behind them.

"I don't think so!" Harry said.

He pointed to a group of Hogwarts students.

"You!" he said, "Grab the injured! Rest of you toward the window!"

"The window?" Ron asked.

"No..." Hermione moaned.

Ron grabbed Hermione's hand and followed Harry and the others into the Great Hall and across it.

"Wands at the ready!" Harry yelled.

Ron was about to ask where he should point his wand, when he heard a large cracking sound. Ron's eyes widened as he looked up at the decorative glass at the back of the Great Hall started to break.

"Don't let it come this way!" Hermione yelled.

Ron, Hermione, and the others all sent spells toward the window, blowing out the glass away from the Great Hall. They heard members of the rogue army screaming in pain, and two of them crashed onto the ground, broomsticks breaking underneath them.

"They're flying in!" Mr. Weasley said.

At least a dozen men and women flew through the broken window.

"Stupefy!" Ron yelled at one of the broomsticks.

His spell hit its target, sending one of the men crashing toward the ground. Two others rounded on him and Hermione. Ron pushed Hermione away, both missing spells as they sent debris from the floor flying.

"Retreat!" Harry yelled.

Ron picked Hermione up, and they followed Harry and the others toward the doors. They all started casting spells toward the flying wizards, and most of the wizards dodged and flew around the spells. Ron, Hermione and the others flew through the doors, and Harry sent a spell toward the doors, which closed a loud thud. Numerous loud sickening thuds echoed against the door; the wizards on broomsticks must have crashed into the door.

"We have to move!" Harry yelled.

Ron took Hermione's hand and they ran up the stairs with the others. Just as they got to the first level of stairs, they heard a loud thud below, followed by a whooshing sound. One of the steel doors that had been barricaded on the entrance was flying up toward them.

"Reducto!" Ron, Harry, Hermione and Mr. Weasley yelled.

Spells met steel, and the door exploded, sending bits of steel debris flying all over the Grand Staircase room. One of the larger pieces of steel flew toward Hermione, and Ron pushed her out of the way. The steel debris flew right over his head and buried itself into an empty portrait.

"That was a close one," Ron said, gasping.

Spells flew over their heads piercing and shredding portraits. Ron looked down to see over a dozen men coming up the grand staircase.

"Stupefy!" Ron and Hermione each yelled.

Each of their spells hit true and a couple of the men were sent flying over the stairwell and they fell to the ground near Aberforth's body, landing with loud bone-breaking thuds. They ran off up the stairs, sending spells down toward the rogue wizards, as more spells came toward them. One of the rogue wizards got stuck in the trick staircase, and a well-aimed spell by Ron's father stunned the man and sent him barreling down the stairs, colliding with his cohorts.

Soon they were at fifth level of the Grand Staircase.

"Arthur!" Mrs. Weasley's voice called out.

Ron looked up. His mother was standing near the entrance to the seventh floor.

"We're coming, Mum!" Ron said, "Go!"

Suddenly, a spell collided with the stairs below them, and Hermione screamed and slipped.

"No!" Ron said, diving toward her.

Ron reached and grabbed Hermione's hand just in time.

"Harry, help me!" Ron said.

"Stupefy!" Mr. Weasley said, sending spells down the staircase.

Harry dove down and grabbed Hermione's other hand. They pulled her back onto the stairs, and Hermione landed in Ron's arms.

"I thought -" Hermione gasped and sobbed, "I thought -"

"You're okay, Hermione," Ron said, trying to catch his breath.

"There's more!" Mr. Weasley yelled.

"Impedimenta!" Harry yelled.

Ron watched Harry's spell as it hit one of the moving staircases below, where the rogue wizards were standing. The stairs froze in mid-air. The men on it were scrambling trying to figure a way off of it.

"Reducto!" Mr. Weasley yelled.

Ron and Hermione watched in horror as the spell hit the staircase and exploded, sending about half-a-dozen rogue wizards falling toward the ground. Ron closed his eyes, but he couldn't keep from hearing the thuds of bodies hitting the ground far below.

"We can't stay here!" Mr. Weasley said.

Ron pulled himself and Hermione up and they traveled up the stairs toward the seventh floor.

"We'll never be able to get back down now!" Ron said, looking down at the ruins of the Grand Staircase.

"We have to get to the Room of Requirement!" Harry said, "We can get to Hogsmeade... and then we can get to the forest. We have to find Daphne. Find her and we can find – and we can stop this!"

"Harry, wait!" Hermione said, as Harry ran off onto the seventh floor.

Ron ran with Hermione, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley followed them after Harry. As they entered the corridor, they found rubble and large chunks of the wall all over the floor.

"They couldn't have gotten past us!" Ron said, "We would have seen them!"

Suddenly, spell came flying out of the hallway up ahead of them and hit a wall. They ran up ahead toward the next hallway, and Harry peered around the corner.. Ron looked around the corner too. Hannah, Neville, the Patil Twins, Katie Bell and Justin Finch-Fletchley were hiding behind a large pillar of stone.

"Harry!" Neville said, when he saw them, "Come on!"

A red spell came flying down the hallway toward them, and hit a piece of a wall near Neville and Hannah. Neville covered Hannah, as debris flew over them.

"Stupefy!" Ron and Harry said, sending spells down the hallway.

They sent off more spells, and ran off down the hallway, toward Neville and the others.

"They must have found the tunnel into the Room of Requirement!" Neville said.

"We have to get in there, Neville," Harry said, "A portion of the stairs in the Grand Staircase are gone! We can't get back down that way!"

"Move!" Justin yelled.

Ron looked up just in time to see a spell hit the ceiling above them. The others ran out of the way, and Ron pulled Hermione out of the way just as a large chunk of ceiling landed feet away from him.

"How many of them are there?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Six or so, as far as we've seen!" Neville said, "But they're not letting us anywhere near it."

"We have to get to Hogsmeade!" Hannah said, "There are still students down there seeking refuge. If there's any more of that army down there, we have to help them."

"I have an idea!" Katie said, "Justin and I can distract them! We'll lead them away from the room! Hopefully they'll take the bait and run at us."

"We'll go too!" Parvati said, "Padma and I!"

Padma nodded.

"Be careful, guys," Harry said.

"Reducto!" Ron, Hermione, Mr. Weasley and Neville all said, sending spells down toward the end of the hallway."

"Now!" Harry said.

Justin, Katie and the Patil twins ran off down the hall. Ron and the others ducked, and he and Harry peered over the rubble as he watched Justin and the others direct a few spells where the rogue wizards were. A thud told Ron that one had fallen. Another wizard cursed loudly at Justin, and Justin ran with the others down the hallway. The rogue wizards followed them.

"Go!" Harry said.

Ron, Hermione, his parents and Neville and Hannah followed Harry down the hallway. They turned the hall and ran into the open Room of Requirement.

"Tunnel's open!" Harry said.

Ron and Hermione ran ahead, just as two wizards reached the opening. Ron, Hermione, Harry and Neville all sent stunning spells toward them, and they fell out of the tunnel.

"Keep your eyes open," Harry said, "There could be more coming. Ron, Hermione, you take the lead, "I'll take the back just in case those guys come back this way."

Ron took Hermione's hand and helped her into the tunnel.

"Lumos," Hermione said.

They started off down the tunnel back toward Hogsmeade.

-  
**(Ginny's PoV)**

In the center of the clearing, Daphne was sitting cross-legged on the ground. Her pupils were once again rolled back into her head and Ginny could only see the whites in her eyes. Gregory Goyle was pacing back and forth, but everyone else was staring at Daphne. Most of them seemed a little scared of their leader. On the tree across the clearing from Ginny, Astoria was whimpering and looking around.

"When are we going to get to do some fighting?" Goyle asked Blaise, "Is she really expecting us to sit here and let them clean up? I didn't come here for that."

"You're really wanting to go up there and fight?" Blaise asked.

"Don't you?" Goyle asked.

Blaise shrugged.

"Silence," Daphne said, "I need concentration."

"What exactly for, Daph?" Blaise asked, "You haven't exactly told us that."

Daphne's pupils went normal and she looked up at Blaise.

"Do you want to know?" she asked.

She stood up and walked over to Blaise.

"Do you really want to know?" she asked

"Yeah, Daph," Blaise said, "Because it is rather worrying me. You're scaring me. You haven't exactly been acting like yourself tonight."

"You would never understand," Daphne said, shaking her head, and walking back to the clearing, "None of you would."

"Try us," Blaise said.

"I've done magic tonight that only one other man has dared to do," Daphne said.

"What exactly is that?" Blaise asked, "Because all I've seen you do is a couple of light shows and some pretty creepy whispers I wouldn't want you to do in bed."

"I'm sure all of you are familiar with Legillimency?" Daphne said.

"Yeah," Pansy said, "Of course. You're telling us you can do that?"

"I can do so much more than that," Daphne said., "I can put things into people's minds and make them really believe they've seen it... or heard it."

"Yeah, right," Garrett scoffed.

Daphne rolled her pupils into her head.

"I do not, Daph!" Garrett said, then turned to Pansy, "How could you – Did you tell her that?"

Ginny and everyone else stared at Garrett.

"What are you talking about, Garrett?" Pansy asked.

"You heard what she said," Garrett said.

He looked at Pansy, then looked around at everyone.

"None of you heard that?" he asked.

Ginny, Blaise, Pansy and Goyle looked at Daphne. Daphne grinned.

"Nice trick," Garrett said, "I'm sure loads of wizards can do it."

"Sure," Daphne said, "But can they do it to loads of people at once?"

Garrett shrugged.

"Can they control hundreds of people at once with a single thought?" Daphne asked, "And not have to use the Imperius Curse?"

Ginny's eyes widened. Daphne could do that?

"So you could roll your eyes?" Garrett asked, "And get Harry Potter to walk into this forest and surrender to us?"

Daphne shook her head.

"I can't do that to people who have strong minds," Daphne said, "Potter's mind is too strong. I probably couldn't do it to any of you. I can plant my voice in all of your heads and make you hear it, as if you were hearing me feet away from you. I can do that to anyone. Because that is a simple form. But to control a mind... I can't do that to just anyone. You probably asked yourself why I recruited so many members for this group. People you've never met and don't know their identities other than perhaps their name if they told you?"

"Sure," Blaise said.

"I needed weak-minded individuals who I could make my pawns," Daphne said. "Who I could get to fight for us and lay down their lives for us, so you wouldn't to do that. Everyone of our group out there, I can tell them what to do, because they are not as strong-willed as all of you. They have body strength, but their minds are feeble and small... weak."

"Can you control anyone who we're fighting against?" Goyle asked.

"I could, but where's the fun with that?" Daphne asked, chuckling.

"So you're not trying it on anyone of them?" Garrett asked.

"I never said that," Daphne said, then raised one finger. "One person. I only need to control one person on their side. In fact... he's coming this way as we speak."

"Who?" Pansy asked.

Daphne grinned.

"I'll give you a hint," Daphne said, "He's madly in love with someone here."

Daphne smiled and turned toward her sister.

"Draco?" Astoria asked.

Daphne chuckled and walked over to Astoria.

"You're boyfriend's coming for you, little sister," she said, "Right now. He's on his way."

"Don't hurt him," Astoria whimpered, "Please. For me. I love him."

"I would never think of it," Daphne said.

She turned around and walked back to the center of the clearing.

"Thank you," Astoria said.

Daphne grinned and Ginny narrowed her eyes. What was she planning?

"Pansy," Daphne said, "Take my sister and walk off in that direction."

Daphne pointed toward the castle.

"I'm sure you'll run into our friend before too long," she said.

"Me?" Pansy asked, "Why me?"

"I'm sure you and my sister have a lot of catching up to do," Daphne said, "Take your new toy with you."

Pansy grinned and walked over to Astoria. She pointed her wand at the ropes binding her and they untied from the tree, then bound around Astoria's wrists.

"Move," Pansy said, pushing Astoria off in the desired direction, "Come, Garrett."

Daphne turned toward Ginny and walked toward her, as Pansy, Garrett and Astoria walked away off toward Hogwarts.

"As for you," Daphne said, "I also believe someone who is very close to you will be coming this way before too long."

"H-Harry?" Ginny asked.

Daphne laughed and nodded.

"It seems he doesn't want to wait to sunrise to die," Daphne said.

"You seriously underestimate Harry, Daphne," Ginny growled.

Daphne rolled her eyes and turned around. She walked back to her spot in the center of the clearing and sat down. She then turned her head slowly to Ginny.

"I'm afraid, Ginny," she said, "That it is Harry who seriously underestimates me."

-  
**Decided to finish it right there! More to come! **

. **  
**


	66. Havoc and Hooves

**Chapter 66  
Havoc and Hooves**

**(Astoria's PoV)**

The forest seemed to moan and whisper around Astoria, as she was led through it by Pansy and Garrett. Garrett was leading the three of them, though he wasn't daring to turn around.

"How could you do this, Garrett?" Astoria asked, "We're fr-friends?"

"Are you going to make her shut up, Pansy?" Garrett asked, still looking ahead of him.

"It's just an innocent question, Garrett," Pansy said. "Besides, I have a few of my own. But she asked first."

Garrett sighed and turned around.

"How long have we known each other, Astoria?" he asked.

"We started talking to each other back in September," Astoria said, "You know that."

"Three and a half months," Garrett said. "You talked to me for three and a half months, and yet we've been in the same classes since our first year. We're both Slytherins in the same year, and never before this year you've taken interest in me. If I didn't sit by you in Potions Class, would you have taken interest in me?"

"Garrett," Astoria said, "You don't understand. I consider myself a loner. I wasn't meant to be in Slytherin, and unfortunately that makes me an outcast."

"If you're a loner," Garrett asked, "Why did you end up with Draco Malfoy?"

"You wouldn't understand," Astoria said.

"Fine," Garrett said, "Don't tell me. It's not like I'm your friend anyway."

"We're friends, Garrett," Astoria said.

Garrett shook his head and laughed.

"You don't understand, do you?" he asked, "Do you know why I wanted to sit next to you in Potions?"

"I thought you fancied me," Astoria said.

"Please," Garrett said, "You? I have someone better."

Garrett took one glance at Pansy. Astoria turned to Pansy, who rolled her eyes. Obviously this was a one-sided relationship.

"The reason I sat next to you," Garrett said, "is because my brother asked me to, and your sister asked him to ask me. They wanted me to spy on you, and see if I could figure out what you and Draco were up to. I was finally rewarded when you told me you were going with someone else to the Yule Ball. I knew it was Draco, so I wrote to Pansy here, and we worked up a plan. I think it worked, don't you?"

"Okay," Astoria said, "I can see where you come in on this, Garrett. But..."

She looked at Pansy.

"How did you get mixed up in this?" Astoria asked.

Pansy chuckled.

"Draco's going to be so mad when he finds out I told you," she said, "That makes this even more fun. I'm going to enjoy this."

"What are you talking about?" Astoria asked.

"What has Draco been telling you that he's been doing lately?" Pansy asked, "What rubbish is he feeding you?"

"He-he told me he had a job," Astoria said, "And that he had to live with his boss because it was unpredictable."

"I'll give him that," Pansy said, "The job was pretty unpredictable at times. But... his boss? Me? I'm flattered."

"You?" Astoria asked, "What are you talking about?"

"Draco was living with me for a while," Pansy said, grinning, "About a month or so."

"You lying witch!" Astoria said, "Shut your foul mouth!"

"Draco didn't think my mouth was foul when he was kissing me," Pansy said.

Astoria narrowed her eyes. Pansy gasped and put a hand over her mouth.

"Oh, dear!" she said, "I've said too much!"

She grinned.

"He'd never do that," Astoria said.

"But I thought you were aware of my relationship with Draco?" Pansy asked. "Wasn't it you who made him promise to stay away from me? Kind of controlling of you, Astoria. Must have been so paranoid of him coming and running right back to me while you were here at the castle."

"Draco would never cheat on me," Astoria said.

"Maybe he thought you'd get a new boy of your own," Pansy said, "I can't deny that you're quite pretty, Astoria. Any boy would want you."

"Who cares about Draco cheating?" Garrett said, "You cheated on me, Pansy! How could you?"

"Spare me, Garrett," Pansy said.

"B-but," Garrett said, "I love -"

Suddenly, Astoria thought she heard a twig snap in the distance ahead of them. Garrett spun around, and pointed his wand.

"Who's there?" Garrett demanded, "Show yourself!"

Astoria looked around but couldn't see anything.

"You're chasing at shadows, Garrett," Pansy said, chuckling. "Let's get moving. I'm sure Astoria has a few things she wants to say to Draco. Let's not keep him waiting."

-  
**(Hermione's PoV)**

After about fifteen minutes in the tunnel, Hermione could finally see a dim light at the end. No other members of the rogue army had come through yet, and Hermione found that awfully suspicious. Ron started off toward the exit of the tunnel, but Hermione pulled him back. She shook her head and put a finger to her lips. She then pointed her wand toward the exit.

"Revelio," Hermione whispered.

Four balls of light flew out of her wand and headed toward the exit.

"There are at least four people in the Hog's Head," she whispered.

"Probably standing guard," Mr. Weasley said.

"We can take them," Ron said.

"Either way," Hermione said, "It would be much easier to take them by surprise."

Ron nodded and crept toward the end of the tunnel with Hermione. Hermione peered around the corner of the opening. Two men were standing near the opening of the tunnel, though their backs were turned on Hermione. Hermione raised three fingers toward Ron and counted down... three... two...

"Watch out!" Harry yelled, "Protego!"

The tunnel rumbled behind them.

"Stupefy!" Harry, Hannah and Neville yelled a few feet behind them.

Three groans were heard some yards behind them as bodies thudded in the tunnel.

"There's someone in the tunnel!" one of the two men outside the exit said.

"Stupefy!" Hermione and Ron yelled, each pointing their wand at one of the wizards.

The spells hit their targets, and the wizards fell to the ground, stunned. Hermione and Ron jumped out of the tunnel, just as two other men ran toward them. Hermione pointed her wand at one of the nearby tables, and it lifted up, then shot toward the two men. The two men groaned as the table pushed them against one of the windows of the pub, and crashing through it.

Hermione suddenly heard a lot of voices yelling and screaming, and curses being thrown outside the pub.

"The students!" Hannah said, as she jumped out of the tunnel and ran toward the entrance of the pub.

"Hannah, wait!" Neville said, running after her.

Hermione took Ron's hand and followed them out of the pub. Ron's parents and Harry followed behind them. Hermione gasped as she ran out the door. Stores in Hogsmeade were burning and bodies of some students, as well as some of the Ministry workers who had been working with Madam Pomfrey were laid out on the ground. There were also bodies of some of the rogue army.

"I should have stayed here!" Hannah said.

"You didn't know they'd come this way, Hannah," Neville said.

"Young students!" Hannah said, "How could they? They had no -"

Shouts and screams wrenched the air.

"The Three Broomsticks!" Hannah said.

Hannah ran off down the road, and Neville ran after her. Ron took Hermione's hand, and they followed down the road. As they got closer, Hermione saw Madam Rosmerta sitting up against one of the walls of the Three Broomsticks. She had a big gash over her forehead.

"Madam Rosmerta!" Hannah said.

Madam Rosmerta put one hand to her mouth, and one hand pointed inside. Hermione looked up into the window, and saw about a dozen students lined up in a row. Six men were standing in front of them.

"They surprised us," Madam Rosmerta said, "A group of those men apparated into Hogsmeade and started casting spells. Spells were coming in through the windows, where a whole bunch of students still were, waiting for help to escape. Most of the students ran out scared, while others went out to fight the men, and – and – the monsters! Those students who didn't run out were hiding and I was trying to defend them and I couldn't do anything."

"We'll rescue them," Harry said, "Mrs. Weasley, Hannah, stay here with her. Come on guys."

"Be careful, Arthur," Mrs. Weasley said.

Harry crept forward toward the door and Hermione and the others followed him.

"I have an idea," Hermione said, "Wait for my sign."

Hermione crept forward and Ron took her hand.

"Ron!" Hermione said, "Go."

"I'm not leaving your side," Ron said.

Hermione smiled and nodded. She crept through the door. One man was standing near the front door.

"Stupefy!" Hermione whispered, pointing her wand at the man.

The spell hit the man, and Ron caught him, then dragged him out through the doorway. Hermione and Ron then crept in through the doorway and over to the bar and stood behind it. Hermione pointed her wand at the big chandelier that hung over a number of the men.

"Reducto!" Hermione whispered.

Her spell hit the top of the chandelier.

"Move!" one of the men said, looking up just in time.

The chandelier fell down toward the floor and crushed two of the men before they could get away. The students screamed and ran away, hiding behind some tables that had been knocked over.

"Stupefy!" Harry yelled, as he and the others ran in.

Hermione and Ron stood up, and everyone started casting spells. Hermione hit one of the men, and spell came toward her and Ron. She pulled Ron down on top of her just in time, and the spell hit the shelf behind them. Bottles fell on top of them and they covered their heads.

"You okay?" Ron asked.

"Yeah," Hermione said, "You?"

Ron nodded and stood up. Hermione stood up and saw a man coming their way. Ron hit him with a stunning spell that sent him flying against one of the tables. Across the room, Neville and Mr. Weasley was battling another wizard, and Harry had just taken down another one.

A table was sent barreling through the air, and it hit Mr. Weasley, who was sent tumbling through the window. Mrs. Weasley's voice screamed outside.

"Dad!" Ron yelled.

Hermione and Ron ran toward the door of the Three Broomsticks. Behind them Neville sent a Stunning Spell toward the last of the men in the building, finally taking him down. Mrs. Weasley was helping her husband sit up against the wall. The back of his head was bleeding.

"Fiends!" a voice yelled in the distance.

Hermione spun around to see Madam Pomfrey running down the road toward them. She was being pursued by two men coming her way.

"Stupefy!" Hermione and Ron yelled.

The two spells zoomed past Madam Pomfrey's head and hit the two men, making them collapse onto the ground. Madam Pomfrey ran over to them.

"Oh... thank you!" she gasped, "Bless you all."

Harry ran out of the Three Broomsticks and headed up the the road.

"Harry!" Ron yelled at him, "Where are you going?"

Harry didn't turn around and he didn't stop. Ron started to run after him, but Hermione held his hand.

"We need to go after him!" Ron said.

"He won't let us," Hermione said, "He has to go on his own."

"Where's he going?" Neville asked.

"He's going after Daphne," Ron said, "Hermione, what do you mean 'he won't let us'?"

"If too many of us go," Hermione said, "there's a greater chance they'll hear us. Harry's going on his own. He won't risk our lives too."

"What do you mean?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Mum," Ron said, "We have something we need to tell you."

-  
**(Draco's PoV)**

Draco had no idea where he was going, but his feet seemed to know. He had already walked about twenty minutes into the forest, and he was so deep in, that the darkness had engulfed him. The only light he could see was the one at the end of his wand.

Suddenly, he heard a loud crack nearby and he turned.

"Wh-who's there?" Draco asked, "I have a wand. I will use it."

"I did not come here to harm you, boy," a voice said a few feet ahead of him.

"Come out!" Draco said, "So I can see you."

Draco heard the sounds of gentle hooves walking across dirt and snow. Then a centaur came into his light.

"You," Draco said, "You used to be a Professor up at the castle. Firenze, isn't it?"

"Mars is bright tonight," Firenze said.

"Look, buddy," Draco said, "If you're going to keep talking about rubbish, I'm not going to stick around. I'm searching for somebody."

"I saw one male and two females of your species about one-hundred yards behind us," Firenze said, "They are coming this way, toward you."

"Did you see my girlfriend?" Draco asked.

He described Astoria.

"Your mate was indeed one of the females," Firenze said. "She looked as if she was in trouble. She certainly didn't look welcome there."

"Can you take me to them?" Draco asked, "I need to rescue her."

"The stars cry this evening," Firenze said, looking up at the sky.

"What?" Draco asked, "Look, if you aren't going to help, just say so."

"Follow me," Firenze said, "I will help you get your mate."

"Couldn't you have just said that?" Draco said, "And we could have skipped the astronomy rubbish."

"Nobody should be without the mate the stars have chosen for them," Firenze said, "I will take you to her."

Firenze turned and walked off in the opposite direction.

"Oi!" Draco said, "Wait up for me."

Draco hurried toward Firenze.

"What do you mean?" Draco asked, walking side-by-side with the centaur, "The stars have chosen her for me."

"You shouldn't question astronomy, young man," Firenze said, looking sideways at Draco, "It can tell us a lot of things. For example, the sun will be blood-red tomorrow morning."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Draco asked.

"Blood has been spilled on these grounds this evening," Firenze said.

"I am aware of that," Draco said, "What does this has to do with Astoria and I. Are you saying our blood will be spilled this evening?"

Firenze said nothing but walked ahead.

"Well?" Draco demanded, "Tell me, centaur!"

"The stars cannot predict the future," Firenze said, "They can only read the present."

"Then how did they choose Astoria for me?" Draco asked.

"Because you have chosen your mate," Firenze said, "And the stars favor your choice."

Draco raised his eyebrows. He shook his head. Hagrid had once said that you shouldn't learn to get answers from a centaur.

Suddenly, Draco heard a branch break somewhere ahead of them.

"Get behind that tree," Firenze said, reaching behind his back and taking his bow and an arrow.

Draco did so, and peered around the tree. He saw Astoria in the middle of Garrett and Pansy. Garrett looked frozen with fright.

"No!" Draco said, "They are mine."

"You cannot take both of them if you wish to be reunited with your mate, young man," Firenze said.

"I know I heard something that time!" Garrett's shivering voice said.

Firenze aimed his bow in the air. He then let the arrow go.

"Too high!" Draco said, "What were you aiming for? You missed!"

"No," Firenze said, "I didn't."

"Yeah," Draco said, "You -"

Suddenly, Draco saw a large net of vines come falling toward the ground. It landed on Garrett and then closed around him and raised up into the air. Garrett's screams echoed as the net raised farther and farther into the air, disappearing into darkness.

"Who's there?" Pansy yelled.

Pansy grabbed Astoria and put her wand toward Astoria's neck.

"Draco?" Pansy asked, "Is that you? Come out! Or she's dead!"

Firenze unsheathed another arrow and put it on his bow.

"No!" Draco said, "She's mine."

Firenze lowered his bow.

"I wish you good fortune, young friend," Firenze said, "May the sun greet you tomorrow morning."

Draco nodded and walked out from behind the tree. He then walked forward into Pansy's vision.

"Draco!" Astoria whimpered.

"Drop the wand, Draco!" Pansy said.

"You won't hurt her, Pansy," Draco said. "Astoria, listen to me. You're going to be fine. Trust me!"

"Trust you?" Pansy said, laughing, "What do you say, Astoria? Can you trust him?"

Astoria whimpered.

"Astoria and me had a little chat tonight, Draco," Pansy said, "She knows all about the time you spent with me while she was in Hogwarts."

"That was nothing, Astoria!" Draco said, "I used her. You have to believe me. Please. I would do nothing to hurt you."

Pansy cackled.

"You're pitiful, Draco," she said, "You always have been. You're soft. How could anyone ever love you, you worthless blood-traitor?"

Astoria muttered something.

"What was that, Astoria?" Pansy asked, "Draco and I couldn't hear you."

"I said," Astoria growled, "Don't – insult – my – boyfriend!"

Astoria lifted up her leg and stomped on Pansy's foot. Pansy roared in pain, and let Astoria go. Astoria dove out of the way, just as Draco pointed his wand at Pansy.

"Stupefy!" Draco yelled.

Draco's spell hit Pansy square in the chest. Her eyes went wide and fell backward to the ground, stunned. Astoria stood up and ran over to Draco. Draco took her in his arms and hugged her.

"I'm sorry," Draco said, "I should have told you."

"You've just made up for anything you ever did," Astoria said.

She grinned and kissed him.

"Come on," Draco said, "We need to get back to the castle."

A twig cracked and Draco pointed his wand in front of him. Then he saw Firenze walking toward them.

"The stars shine brightly on the both of you, young ones," he said.

"Thank you, Firenze," Draco said.

Firenze bowed and Draco put his arm around Astoria and they started off back toward Hogwarts.

"What did he say?" Astoria asked.

"Who knows?" Draco asked. "You can never tell with centaurs."

-  
**Another chapter finished! Harry confronting Daphne is coming soon! What will happen? You'll just have to wait and find out! **


	67. Protection

**Chapter 67  
Protection**

**Author's Note: This chapter will switch between many PoVs.**

**(Hermione's PoV)**

"That – witch - has my little girl?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Harry will get her back, Mum," Ron said.

Mrs. Weasley opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly, there was the sound of a large explosion coming from the castle.

"We – we gotta get back up there!" Mr. Weasley said.

He tried to stand up, but fell back against the wall.

"Dad, you can't fight like this," Ron said.

"Ron's right," Hermione said, "Molly, you stay with Arthur. We'll go back up to the castle and help."

"Hannah, you have to stay too," Neville said.

"No – Neville!" Hannah said, shaking her head.

"The students need you, Hannah," Neville said, "Just in case any more of those guys come back."

Hannah opened her mouth to speak, but nodded.

"Be safe," she said.

Hannah hugged Neville tightly and kissed him. Neville then stood up and started off toward the castle.

"Don't worry about Ginny,"" Hermione said, standing up, "Harry won't let anything happen to her."

Mrs. Weasley nodded.

"Be safe, you two," she said.

Hermione took Ron's hand and they followed Neville up toward the castle.

-  
**(Ginny's PoV)**

Ginny kept her eyes and ears open toward the forest around her, looking for anything. Daphne had said Harry was coming towards them. Was he coming from the castle? Had he gotten through Daphne's army to get to her. Did this mean that Daphne's army had fallen?

Had the Professors and students and whoever had come to join them protect Hogwarts once again? How many had fallen this time? Who had sacrificed themselves this time to protect Hogwarts? Had her family come this time? They must have known she had been kidnapped by Daphne.

"Where are you, Harry?" Daphne muttered.

Ginny turned her attention back to Daphne. She was, once again, sitting cross-legged on the dirt floor of the clearing in the Forbidden Forest. Her eyes were closed and her head was pointed toward the sky.

"I can't see you," Daphne said. "Have you figured out I am using Legillimency? I know you were taught Occlumency, and I also know you couldn't use it. Did you finally figure out how to use it. Have you finally figured out how to block me from it?"

Ginny stared at Daphne. She knew Harry wasn't skilled at Occlumency. And yet, according to Daphne, Harry was blocking her. What was going on? Was Daphne's power getting weaker? Was she using too much?

Daphne opened her eyes and looked around.

"Goyle!" she said, "You said you wanted to fight. Go find Harry for me."

"Can't you do that yourself with your powers?" Goyle asked.

"Don't talk down to me, Gregory," Daphne said, "Go do it."

Daphne narrowed her eyes toward Goyle.

"All right, all right!" Goyle said, "I'll do it! Don't try to get into my mind, please."

Daphne smiled. Goyle turned. He then paused and looked around.

"Which way is Harry coming from?" Goyle asked.

Daphne pointed to the east, away from Hogwarts. Ginny turned her head. Harry was coming from Hogsmeade?

"I'll find him for you," Goyle said.

"Don't harm him," Daphne said, "Just make sure he gets here."

Goyle nodded and walked off toward the east.

"Blaise," Daphne said, "Go see what Pansy and my sister are up to."

"But if I go, you'll be alone, Daph," Blaise said.

"I have Ginny to keep me company," Daphne said.

"You know what I mean!" Blaise said, "No one will be here to help you with Potter."

"I don't need help with Potter, Blaise," Daphne said, "Go!"

Blaise sighed and walked off toward the west.

"You can't keep me out for long, Harry," Daphne muttered.

- **  
(Harry's PoV)**

As Harry walked through the Forbidden Forest, he had the strangest feeling he knew where Daphne had taken Ginny. If Daphne was trying to recreate the Battle of Hogwarts, there was only one place in the Forbidden Forest Daphne would have wanted to go. He realized he had known it all along. It was the same place he had met with Voldemort when he had gone to die. The only problem was: he wasn't sure how to get there from the way he had come in. But he trusted his feet would lead him there.

As he walked, he thought of Ginny, of how terrified she must be. Did Daphne tell Ginny she had no intention of harming her unless Harry didn't come for her?

He thought of Ron and Hermione, and wondered why they hadn't followed him into the forest. Did they know what he knew? That he must do this alone if he was going to have chance of rescuing Ginny? Did they know Daphne wouldn't allow him to get close to Ginny if she knew his friends were in the area?

He wondered what Ron and Hermione were doing now. He wondered if they were going back to the castle, now that Harry had gone off on his own. The battle was still raging up at Hogwarts. He knew Ron and Hermione wouldn't just sit back and allow the others to fight without them. Yes, they must have been headed back toward the castle.

He hoped, prayed that they would be safe from harm. He knew both had promised each other to stay close to the other. They'd protect each other, as well as try to protect everyone from harm.

Suddenly, the sound of a branch snapping broke Harry away from his thoughts. Harry turned his lit wand toward the sound. Gregory Goyle was standing there.

"Come to find me, have you?" Harry asked.

"Daphne wondered if you were coming for her," Goyle said. "She sent me to come find you and bring you to her."

"You found me," Harry said, "Good job. Though I was going to her myself. Do you know where she is?"

"Of course!" Goyle said, then pointed behind him, "Back that way. I'll lead you. She'll be very happy with me."

Goyle chuckled.

"Yes, lead the way," Harry said, "But Gregory?"

Goyle looked at Harry.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Harry asked.

Harry lifted his wand.

"Oh yeah," Goyle said, "Give it here, Potter. Expel-"

"Stupefy!" Harry yelled.

The spell hit Goyle and he flew up against a tree and collapsed to the ground. Harry walked over to Goyle and picked up his wand. He then started to walk off, then turned back to Goyle. He couldn't leave him Stunned in the forest. Something might come after him.

"Ennervate," Harry said.

Goyle's eyes blinked and opened.

"Hogsmeade is back that way," Harry said, nodding his head behind him, "I'll tell Daphne you found me. But if you come after me, I'll stun you again, and I'll let the werewolves come find you. Got it?"

Goyle nodded. Harry stood up straight and walked off in the way Goyle had pointed out.

-  
**(Ron's PoV)**

When Ron, Hermione and Neville reached the Great Hall, they found the source of the explosion. The corridor, that they had last seen the Aurors and Kingsley go into, had smoke billowing out a couple of the windows. The steel doors had finally been blasted away from the entrance of Hogwarts. One of them was laid out on the grass. Ron realized the other door had been the one that had been blown apart on the Grand Staircase.

Ron, Hermione and Neville walked in, their wands pointed out straight in front of them. Bodies of the rogue army, as well as some of the Aurors were laid out all over the Entrance Hall. The large, beautiful oak doors that led into the Great Hall were now debris in the Entrance Hall.

Suddenly, Ron heard a small groaning sound coming from the corridor nearby.

"Over there!" Hermione, who heard it too, cried out.

Ron followed her toward the source of the sound, and found Kingsley sitting up against a wall. Blood covered his face, and one of his legs looked broken. Down the corridor, a large portion of the ceiling had caved in.

"Minister!" Hermione said, running over to Kingsley.

"The – army," Kingsley said, weakly, "They ran off down that way. They were chasing people. Your brothers, Mr. Weasley were with them. I think they ran off in the direction of the clock tower."

Ron stood up and started to run off.

"Ron!" Hermione said.

"Stay here!" Ron said, "I have to go after them."

Hermione shook her head and walked over to him.

"You two go," Neville said, "I'll make sure the Minister is safe."

Ron took Hermione's hand and ran off down the corridor and over the debris that covered the ground. As they turned the corner toward the clock-tower, a spell hit the ceiling over head. They ran forward, just as a large chunk of ceiling hit the floor. They ran toward the Clock tower, and saw people battling the rogue army in the courtyard. They were being forced back against a large gap where the bridge had been. Ron saw Bill, George and Angelina battling together.

"They're trying to force them over the cliff!" Hermione gasped.

Ron and Hermione ran forward. One of the men had overtaken Percy, who was crawling on the ground. Ron sent a stunning spell toward the man, and he groaned as he fell toward the ground, unconscious.

"Reducto!" Hermione said, hitting a large pillar, where four rogue wizards were fighting students.

The pillar toppled over and fell onto three of the wizards. The other wizard turned around and sent a Killing Curse toward Hermione. Ron forced Hermione toward the ground with him. Ron looked up to see three of the rogue wizards coming toward him, when suddenly, all three were taken out by a barrage of spells coming from somewhere behind Ron and Hermione.

Ron looked behind him and saw Professors McGonagall, Flitwick and Sprout, as well as another group of students running toward them. Ron pulled Hermione up, and ran toward the rogue army.

Bill, George and Angelina, and the students they were with were now just feet from the cliff. A group of rogue wizards were stalking them, casting a barrage of spells, and George, Bill and Angelina were doing everything they could just to use defensive spells. Ron ran with Hermione and the Professors and cast spells toward the group.

When Hermione took one of the wizards down, three others turned on her and Ron and sent stunning spells toward them.

"Reducto!" one of the wizards yelled, aiming their wand up in the sky.

Ron hit him with a spell, and he collapsed. Suddenly, there was a loud metallic sound and Ron and Hermione looked up. A part of the giant clock was falling toward them. Ron tried to push Hermione out of the way, but he knew the giant clock was falling too fast. Ron closed his eyes, ready for the impact...

But the whooshing sound from the clock falling had stopped. Ron looked up. The clock was floating in mid-air. Professors McGonagall and Sprout had their wands pointed at it. Ron grabbed Hermione and pushed her out of the way. Ron turned and looked at the floating clock, when suddenly, it flew away from them toward the rogue army coming there way and took out five of them. Ron sent a spell at another one, and Bill, George and Angelina took out the three others that were left.

The crowd around them cheered. Ron nodded and panted.

"Is that all of them?" a student asked, "Are we done?"

Suddenly, a red spell hit a nearby-well and the thing exploded sending debris everywhere. Ron looked around, trying to find who had sent the spell, when he saw them.

"Bloody hell..." Ron said.

A group of at least fifty wizards were on the other side of the large gap where the bridge had once stood. Ron, Hermione and many of the others cast spells across the gap.

"Retreat!" Ron heard one of the rogue wizards say, "We'll find another way!"

"They can't get over here!" Hermione said.

"They'll come up through the front entrance," McGonagall said, "Back to the front! We can take them there!"

Ron and Hermione followed Professor McGonagall back through the clock tower and toward the corridor, leading to the front of the castle.

"You think that is the last of them?" Ron asked Hermione.

"I don't know," Hermione said, "I really hope so."

-  
**(Harry's PoV)**

The forest around Harry started to look more familiar. He knew he was close to the clearing. It was the same location where he had met Voldemort, in order to sacrifice himself, and miraculously was able to live through it. Of course Daphne would want to be there.

Then... up head he saw the clearing. He walked through the tress, toward it.

"Harry!" Ginny yelled.

Harry looked for Ginny's voice. He found her tied up against a large tree. Daphne was sitting cross-legged in the center of the clearing. She looked up at Harry and smiled.

"I knew you'd come," Daphne said, standing up.

"Where are your friends, Daphne?" Harry asked, "I thought you'd want a show."

Daphne chuckled and shook her head.

"I don't need a show, Potter," Daphne said.

"But I thought you'd want to prove to everyone I'm no hero," Harry said. "I thought you'd relish in the thought of killing me in front of everyone. Isn't that why you asked me to meet you in the Great Hall?"

"Look around," Daphne said, "We're not in the Great Hall."

"I can see that," Harry said.

"We're standing in the place where you came to die," Daphne said.

"I didn't die that day, Daphne," Harry said, "Here I stand."

Daphne chuckled.

"You fool," she said, laughing, "Did you really think I was talking about that day? I'm talking about today. You're standing at your final resting place. I am going to finish the job my Lord started."

Harry raised his wand, but he didn't point it at Daphne. Instead he pointed it at Ginny.

"Diffindo!" Harry yelled.

His spell hit the ropes around Ginny, and they fell away.

"Run, Ginny!" Harry said.

"Harry, no!" Ginny yelled.

Daphne's eyes rolled back in their sockets, and black clouds came over head. Before Harry could move, a lightning bolt came down from the clouds and hit Harry. He could hear Ginny screaming his name and crying out, though he felt no pain from the lightning bolt. The blue light around him faded and disappeared. Daphne growled and looked at him. Harry looked for Ginny. He could see her escape behind a tree.

"You may have escaped my lightning bolts, Potter!" Daphne said, raising her wand, "But you won't escape me! Avada -"

"Expelliarmus!" Harry said, pointing his wand at Daphne.

Daphne's wand flew from her hand, and landed in between them.

"No!" Daphne growled.

Her eyes rolled back into her head and Harry ran away from her and behind a tree.

"Think you can hide from me?" Daphne asked.

Harry waited for the black clouds and lightning. Daphne's anger was rising. He knew before too long her lightning would hit him and it would hurt him.

"Why?" Daphne screamed out. "Why isn't it working?"

Suddenly, Harry heard a loud whoosh sound. Harry peered around the tree, and saw Daphne pick up her wand, then she was encased in a billowing black smokestack. The ground rumbled below Harry the trees around the clearing started to shake and fall. Harry heard Ginny scream and run into the clearing.

"Ginny, look out!" Harry yelled.

Harry ran around the tree and toward Ginny. Suddenly, the black smoke flew into the air, but it didn't go toward Harry or Ginny. It was heading straight back toward Hogwarts.

"She's going back to the castle!" Harry said, running over to Ginny, and grabbing her hand, "We have to go after her."

"Why is she going there?" Ginny asked.

"If she can't hurt me," Harry said, "She'll hurt everyone else."

Ginny pulled Harry and they started running through the forest.

"I thought the lightning would have killed you!" Ginny said, her breath panting as she ran with Harry.

"Why couldn't she hurt me?" Harry asked, "That is twice tonight she hit me with lightning."

"Maybe it can't hurt anyone?" Ginny asked.

"No," Harry said, "I saw it kill someone else. Daphne asked why it wasn't working. She wanted to kill me."

Ginny stopped in her tracks.

"Ginny, we have to go!" Harry said.

He noticed Ginny was looking straight at him. She seemed as if she had realized something.

"What is it, Ginny?" Harry asked.

"I know why she couldn't hurt you, Harry," Ginny said, taking Harry's hand and walking with him through the forest again, "I have some explaining to do."

-  
**Chapter finished! I'll give you a hint what Ginny's going to tell Harry. It was the same explanation Hermione was told earlier in the story.**

**Battle is not over yet! More to come! **

**P.S. Might take me a couple days to get up a new chapter. Personal stuff is trying to interfere.**


	68. Daphne's Mistake

**Chapter 68  
Daphne's Mistake**

**(Hermione's PoV)**

Hermione, Ron and Professor McGonagall reached the Entrance Hall, leading a large number of defenders behind them, including Professors, students, and their friends. Coming down the stairs were even more students and defenders. Hermione recognized Katie Bell and the Patil twins in the group, as well as most of the old Gryffindor Quidditch team, and part of the members of Dumbledore's Army. The Patil twins, both with tears streaming down their face, were doing something with their wand, and Hermione gasped when she could finally see what was going on. Justin Finch-Fletchley was laid out on a make-shift cot that was floating in mid-air. Hermione could see that he was dead.

"What happened?" Ron asked, when Katie walked up to them.

"He sacrificed himself for us," Katie said, emotion running through her voice, "We had taken out three of the men, and three more were coming. We had ran into a dead end, and the three men were coming our way. Justin ran back for them and we yelled for him. He took out two of the men himself, but –"

She shook her head.

"I tried to curse the last guy in time," Katie said, "But Justin went down."

Hermione put her arms around Katie and hugged her.

"You did what you could," Hermione said, soothingly.

"Hermione, Ron!" Luna's voice said.

Hermione backed away and looked toward the stairs. Luna, Rolf and Xenophilius were walking toward them. Xenophilius was holding his arm gingerly against him, and he had burns on the side of his face.

"Is it over?" Luna asked, "Is that why we're all here?"

Before Hermione could answer, there was an outcry of roars coming from the grounds. Many of the defenders started running out the door. Ron grabbed Hermione's hand and they ran out to the grounds. In the forest ahead of them, Hermione could see members of the rogue army walking to the edge of the forest.

"You think this is it?" George said, a few feet behind Hermione, "These people coming toward us now. Is this the last of them?"

"We didn't see anyone else on the upper floors," Katie said, "And they had enough time to come our way. It took us a good ten minutes to repair the Grand Staircase just to get down it."

"Made quite a ruckus too," Parvati Patil said. "If there was anyone left, they would have heard us."

"So this is it," Ron said.

Ron looked at Hermione and she squeezed his hand.

"Hey," Luna said, "Has anyone seen Harry?"

"He went to the forest," Hermione said, "To find Ginny and Daphne."

"Ginny?" George asked, "I thought you said she wasn't here!"

"Long story, George," Ron said.

The ground beneath them started to rumble slightly, as the final wave of the rogue army stepped out of the forest in two rows.

"Form lines!" Professor McGonagall said, walking to the front of the defenders, "Students in back!"

Hermione lined up with Ron and his brothers. On each side of them, professors and their friends stood, their wands at their sides, ready to fight this final wave.

"Shields!" Professor McGonagall ordered.

Hermione, Ron and the others raised their wands to the air, and formed one giant shield over them. Suddenly, a large black cloud rose above the trees.

"_You have fought valiantly_," Daphne's voice rang through the grounds.

Some of the students behind them cried out. Part of the black cloud was now moving toward the ground, but not toward Hermione and the others. It fell toward the ground in front of the rogue army. When it dissipated, Daphne was standing there, staring at Hermione and the defenders.

"_But you have lost." _she said.

"Hermione," Ron said, "If that's Daphne, where's Harry?"

Hermione's eyes widened, and she felt tears form in them. She shook her head. This wasn't possible. Not again.

**(Harry's PoV – ten minutes earlier)**

Harry stared straight ahead at forest floor, lit by his wand, as he had been doing for the last fifteen minutes or so. He and Ginny were walking, fairly quickly, back toward Hogwarts, and Harry was sure they were almost there. But he was not focused on the walk back to Hogwarts at the moment. He had been listening to the story Ginny had told him. When he finally looked back at Ginny, she was looking at him.

"Harry?" Ginny asked, "Say something."

"How long have you known this?" Harry asked.

"My whole life," Ginny said, "Well, I knew I had it and my family has it. But we didn't know you had the magic in your blood until recently when Dad figured it out."

"Why didn't you tell me until just now?" Harry asked.

"It is one of my family's most guarded secrets," Ginny said, "Only members of our family are supposed to know. So..."

"You were going to wait until we were married," Harry said.

"It was my intentions," Ginny said.

"Does Hermione know?" Harry asked.

Ginny nodded.

"Ron had to tell her after they realized their house was broken into," she said.

"So why are you telling me this now?" Harry asked, "Instead of waiting, like you intended."

"Because I didn't think I'd need to tell you until then," Ginny said, "And then... back there with Daphne..."

"The bond?" Harry said, "Is that why Daphne couldn't hurt me?"

"It's confusing," Ginny said, "It isn't supposed to protect us like that. It doesn't protect us from serious injury or death. I'd have to ask Dad, but I think there is only one reason it worked this time."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Because we were both in the area at the time," Ginny said.

"Yeah, you said it works better when more are around that have the magic in their blood," Harry said.

"That's not it," Ginny said, grinning.

She then squeezed Harry's hand.

"Do you believe in soul-mates?" Ginny asked.

Harry shrugged.

"The only people I've known with this bond," Ginny said, "Before I knew you had it... was my family. I've never met someone outside of my family with it. But you have it, and well, we love each other, and I think the bond recognized that. It recognized us as soul-mates, and it made the bond stronger because you were trying to protect me."

"I'm not sure if that is the explanation, Ginny," Harry said.

"It's good enough for me," Ginny said, "Until we get my father's opinion."

Harry was about to reply when he heard a branch break somewhere ahead of them. Harry pulled Ginny behind him and pointed his wand forward.

"Show yourself!" Harry demanded.

"D-don't curse me!" a voice said, "I don't want to fight you."

Blaise Zabini walked forward into the light.

"What do you want?" Harry asked.

"I want to help you," Blaise said, "You're going after Daphne, aren't you? I saw her heading back to the castle."

"You saw her?" Ginny asked, "You mean she was walking?"

"Running," Blaise said.

"When we saw her," Ginny said, "She was flying back in this black smoke."

"Her power must be failing her," Blaise said, "She must be getting weaker."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, "Her powers?"

"I'll walk and talk," Blaise said, "We need to get to the castle."

"How can we trust you?" Harry asked.

Blaise sighed and threw his wand to Harry. Harry caught it.

"Can you trust me now?" Blaise asked.

Harry looked at Ginny, who nodded. He took Ginny's hand and they walked toward Blaise. The three of them started off back toward the castle.

"So you're turning on Daphne now?" Harry asked.

"You don't understand," Blaise said, "I've never seen her like this tonight. I'm scared of her."

"These powers of hers," Ginny said, "Legillimency. That freak lightning and stuff. How does she know that?"

"You saw her meditating back there, right?" Blaise asked.

Ginny nodded.

"She's been doing that for weeks now," Blaise said, "We live together. She – well, I thought she was my girlfriend. Now I'm not so sure. Anyway... she's been doing this meditating and weird murmuring for weeks now. She would never tell me what she was doing. She just said it would help us get what we wanted. She was also reading and stuff, and I never figured out what it was she was reading. Must have been studying Legillimency. She's had some strange control over people in our group."

"That's not Legillimency, Blaise," Harry said, "That's mind control. Outside of anyone using the Imperius Curse, I've only seen Voldemort able to do what she does."

"Well, whatever it is," Blaise said, "She knows how to do it. And she does it well. She can make people loads of people do what she wants. Those people out there fighting your friends, Potter. They're all under her control. Well, maybe not right now. But she's got it in their heads that they are fighting for her for a good cause. She doesn't care about any of them either. I'll tell you that."

"So how do you think she knows this stuff?" Ginny asked.

"She goes into these strange trances," Blaise said, "There was one day when she was doing this... and I heard her voice. It was odd. It's like she's channeling Voldemort or something."

"She can't channel Voldemort," Harry said, "Voldemort doesn't have a soul to channel."

"Let me tell you this, Potter," Blaise said, "If Daphne isn't talking to Voldemort in some way or another, she thinks she is."

"_You have fought valiantly_," Daphne's voice suddenly said, _"But you have lost."_

Harry, Ginny and Blaise stopped in their tracks.

"Where is that coming from?" Blaise asked.

"Could be coming from anywhere," Harry said.

"How far are we from the castle?" Ginny asked.

"Not far!" Harry said, "Come on!"

Harry grabbed Ginny's hand and they ran forward with Blaise toward the castle.

-  
**(Ron's PoV)**

Daphne paced back and forth in front of her army.

"Yes," she said, her voice magnified, "I can see the fear in your eyes. What you have feared tonight has come to pass."

"No," Hermione said, shaking her head.

"Harry Potter is dead!" Daphne screamed.

"She lies," Ron muttered.

Ron walked forward with Hermione.

"You liar!" he yelled.

The crowd behind him cheered.

"Am I?" Daphne asked, "Where is your valiant Hero of the Second War then? Did he not tell you he was going to meet me in the forest?"

"Where's your proof?" Neville Longbottom asked, walking past Ron and Hermione, "Eh? You've been doing all of this for Voldemort, haven't you? Isn't that the whole reason we're here today. You wanted to try to change history?"

"Silence!" Daphne screamed.

A lightning bolt shot out of the black cloud above them and hit Neville. A blinding blue light lit up Neville's body, and students gasped and screamed. Neville walked forward and the blue light vanished..

"Is that all you got?" Neville asked, "Didn't even feel it. You're weak, Daphne! You want to recreate the Battle of Hogwarts. Let me show you how the Battle of Hogwarts was won! For Harry!"

"Silence them!" Daphne screamed.

Neville ran forward, and Ron and Hermione followed in suit, as did the rest of the defenders behind them. Spells and curses of all colors flew past Ron and Hermione, as they sent spells of their own toward the army.

Suddenly, a large fire ignited the field between the defenders and Daphne's army, sending flames twenty feet in the air and blocking everyone. Ron sent a spell toward the fire, but the spell only dissipated in the flames.

"What the bloody hell?" Ron muttered, "What is this?"

"Harry!" someone screamed behind Ron and Hermione, "It's Harry!"

"He's alive!" another voice said.

Through the flames, and over the heads of Daphne's army, Ron could just see Harry standing there. Ginny was at his side.

**(Harry's PoV) **

"It's Harry!" a voice said.

"He's alive!" another voice said.

Holding Ginny's hand tightly, Harry walked out of the forest and toward Daphne's army.

"What are we doing?" Ginny muttered.

"Trust me," Harry said, and squeezed Ginny's hand.

Harry pointed his wand forward, and Daphne's army split up and backed away from them.

"It seems rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated," Harry said out loud.

"He's there!" Daphne screamed, "Get him! This is what we worked for!"

Daphne looked at Harry, then looked around at her army. They backed away from Harry and confusion seemed to dawn on their faces. Daphe backed up away from Harry and her army.

"This is why we're here!" Daphne said.

Harry walked forward and Daphne backed up quickly against the fire. Harry pointed his wand at the fire, and it formed a small circle around them. The fire died down to six feet tall. He walked toward Daphne, and she ran toward the fire.

"Are you really going to try it?" Harry asked.

Daphne growled and turned around. Black smoke formed around her and she raised into the air. She went over Harry and Ginny's head, and then suddenly, she fell onto the ground a few yards behind him on the other side of the circle of fire.

"What?" she shrieked.

"Go, Ginny," Harry said, "Go to your brothers and Hermione."

Ginny shook her head.

"I won't leave you!" she said.

"Ginny," Harry said, "Trust me. I love you."

Harry pointed his wand toward the fire a few feet behind him. A portion of the flame split away. Ginny squeezed Harry's hand.

"I love you too," Ginny said.

Ginny walked away and toward Hermione and her brothers. They all hugged her and Harry closed the fire and turned back to Daphne.

"Do something!" Daphne demanded to her army.

"You don't control them anymore, Daphne," Harry said.

Daphne turned around and growled.

"What is that I see in your eyes?" Harry asked. "Is that your strength leaving you?"

Harry looked over head. The black clouds were now disappearing.

"You've made a big mistake, Daphne," Harry said, "You used too much of your strength tonight. You were so focused on controlling your army, and now they won't listen to you. Your power is used up, Daphne. You used it all up before you could get to me."

"You are here now, aren't you?" Daphne asked.

"Yes, I am," Harry said, "Isn't this what you wanted? You wanted to recreate the Battle of Hogwarts. So we're not in the Great Hall at sunrise, but we're here face to face. Isn't that what you wanted tonight?"

"I don't need my powers!" Daphne said, "I can take you on without them!"

Daphne raised her wand, but Harry was quicker.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry said.

Daphne's wand flew away from her and landed at Harry's feet. Harry picked it up.

"Kill me," Daphne said, "You won."

"I don't want to kill you, Daphne," Harry said.

"Why not?" Daphne asked, "You killed my Lord!"

"He killed himself," Harry said, "His spell backfired. Everyone knows that... except you. But if you think I killed him... go ahead."

Harry threw Daphne's wand back at her.

"Get your revenge," Harry said.

Daphne looked down at her wand then looked at Harry. She looked around at the crowd around her, and over at her army.

"Daphne!" a voice said behind Harry.

Harry looked over his shoulder. Astoria and Draco were walking past Ron and Hermione.

"Stop," Astoria said, "You don't have to do this."

Daphne raised her wand toward Harry. Harry twisted his wand in his hand, ready to duel.

"Daphne!" Astoria said again, "Look at me."

"Stay out of this, Astoria," Daphne growled.

"No!" Astoria said, "I refuse. You listen to me. Why are you doing this? You're not a killer."

"You don't know me!" Daphne said.

"I do," Astoria said, "If anyone knows you, Daphne, it is me."

Daphne growled and pointed her wand at Astoria.

"Protego!" Harry yelled, pointing his wand toward Astoria.

Daphne's spell hit Harry's protection sphere. Harry then pointed his wand at Daphne, but he was too late. She had gained the upper hand when he had protected Astoria.

"Crucio!" Daphne yelled, pointing her wand at Harry.

The spell hit Harry, and he fell to the ground, pain circling through his body. He could hear people crying out around him. He could hear Daphne's laughter as she walked over toward him.

"My revenge is complete," Daphne said, "Avada -"

Daphne's eyes went wide and she fell backwards. The pain in Harry's body stopped. Harry sat up and saw Astoria standing near him with her wand pointed at Daphne. Daphne was alive, but she was unconscious, the victim of Astoria's Stunning spell.

The fire around them died down, and the crowd cheered. Harry looked up at Astoria. She smiled at him and he nodded.

Before Harry could say anything, he was surrounded by Ron, Hermione, Ginny and the others, all hugging him and Astoria. Astoria looked rather embarrassed, and Harry could see her ducking out of the crowd and over to Draco. Draco hugged her and, when he saw Harry looking at them, he grinned at him and mouthed "Thanks".

**I had many ways of thinking how this battle could end. I could have had the battle going on a bit longer before Daphne came in, or even before Harry came in. I was thinking about having Harry finish off Daphne, of course just by stunning her, but that would be rather predictable, so I had Astoria come in.**

**Only a few more chapters left, including the Epilogue! Might even have more than one part for the Epilogue, not sure.**


	69. A New Day

**Chapter 69  
A New Day**

**Author's Note: This chapter will be fairly short cause it will just give some final things before I get to the epilogue. **

**(Harry's PoV)**

Half-an-hour later, after Harry had gone through a round of praise from the survivors, Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione were sitting against a wall in the Great Hall. The rest of the survivors were talking amongst each other, and others were resting their heads on the table, exhausted from the battle. A few of the survivors, including most of the Professors, were helping the injured, and carrying dead to a corner of the Great Hall.

Kingsley limped over to Harry and the others, with the aide of Neville and Luna. Kingsley bowed his head slightly to Harry.

"It seems the wizarding world has to thank you yet again, Mr. Potter," he said.

"Not this time, Minister," Harry said, "Not after all of this. This time, it is everyone who fought for the wizarding world who deserves the credit. They all deserve my thanks."

"I will make sure they get it," Kingsley said.

"Ginny! Ronald!" Mrs. Weasley's voice called out.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley appeared behind Kingsley, with the rest of their family and walked toward them. Ginny and Ron stood up and hugged their parents. Mrs. Weasley then walked over to Harry, who stood up. He hugged her. Over Mrs. Weasley's shoulder, Harry could see Hannah walking up to Neville and hugging him.

"Thank you," Mrs. Weasley said, "for keeping my family safe tonight."

She backed up and smiled and looked at Hermione.

"All of us," Mrs. Weasley said, then hugged Hermione.

"Ginny!" another voice said.

Gwenog Jones and the rest of Ginny's Quidditch team walked over to them.

"What are you doing here?" Ginny asked.

"We had to help," Gwenog said, "Besides, we couldn't lose someone else."

"Someone else?" Ginny asked, looking around at her team, "Where's Bertha?"

Tears leaked from Gwenog's eyes and she shook her head.

"She – she didn't make it," Gwenog said.

Ginny gasped, and a sob escaped her lips as she hugged Gwenog.

"Does that mean?" Ginny asked, "The playoffs?"

"We'll play," Roxy Waters said, "You better believe they'll let us play. I'll stand in front of the Wizengamot and demand our right to play if I have to. I'll do it for Bertha. We can be one girl short and still run over the competition!"

Ginny nodded. She walked back over to Harry. Harry hugged her.

"I'm sorry about Bertha," Harry said.

Ginny nodded. Over Ginny's shoulder, Harry saw Draco and Astoria standing a few feet away, looking at him.

"I'll be right back," he said.

Ginny nodded and kissed Harry's cheek. Harry smiled and walked over to Draco and Astoria. Draco looked down at his feet, then looked back at Harry. He extended his hand.

"Thank you, Harry," he said, "for keeping your promise."

Harry smiled and took Draco's hand and shook it.

"What about Daphne?" Harry asked, looking at Astoria.

"Being escorted to Azkaban as we speak," Astoria said, "She'll be under high security. They're going to try to get her some help."

"Thank you for what you did, Astoria," Harry said, "I mean it. You saved my life tonight."

"You saved me first with that protection spell," Astoria said, "I didn't need a life-debt on my hands. Besides, my sister deserved it."

Harry grinned and looked back at Draco.

"So what are you going to do?" Harry asked.

"I have a lot of stuff to do now," Draco said, then looked over his shoulder.

Harry looked behind him. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy were sitting at a table looking at them.

"Got a lot of explaining to do to them," Draco said. "But first I promised the Minister I'd help round up the members of Daphne's group. Blaise turned himself in earlier, and he's helping too. Goyle got rounded up in Hogsmeade. He gave himself up apparently. But Pansy's still out there somewhere. I stunned her, but I guess she got away. We'll find her. Anyway, the Minister said if I did this, he'd pardon me from my crimes of being associated with the group."

"But you were working undercover," Harry said.

"On my own," Draco said, "Not for anyone. I also stood back watching for a while. I could have really hurt someone, including your two mates."

Draco looked over Harry's shoulder. Harry turned around. Ron and Hermione were sitting up against the wall. Hermione had her head on Ron's shoulder.

"They need to know I'm sorry for anything I've done to them over the past few months," Draco said.

"I'll make sure they get the message," Harry said.

"Thanks, Harry," Draco said, "for everything. I hope we can put aside our differences in the past."

"I'm sure we can work on that," Harry said.

Draco grinned.

"Come on, darling," Astoria said, "Let's go rest."

Draco nodded and put his arm around Astoria then walked off across the Great Hall. Ginny walked over to Harry and took his hand. Harry smiled at her, then looked around the Great Hall.

"There's something I need to do," Harry said.

"I'm not leaving your side anymore tonight," Ginny said.

Harry nodded and walked across the Great Hall, to the corner where the dead lay on the ground. Aberforth's body was laying there with a blanket over most of his body. Harry held back a sob in his throat.

"He was going to retire soon," Harry said, "He was going to live out of the rest of his life in Godric's Hollow."

"Maybe it was just his time, Harry," Ginny said, "He had a very long life."

Harry nodded and kneeled down to Aberforth.

"Rest in peace, old friend," Harry said, "I hope you find peace amongst your family once more. Thank you for everything you've done for us."

Harry stood up and he and Ginny walked along to each of the dead, lingering over them and giving them his thanks.

-  
**(Hermione's PoV)**

Hermione cuddled up against Ron as she looked around the Great Hall. Ron put his arm around her, and she heard a soft chuckle come from his lips.

"What could possibly be funny, Ronald?" Hermione asked.

"No," Ron said, "Nothing funny. Ironic."

"Oh?" Hermione asked.

"I never thought I'd be back here," Ron said, "And I never thought I'd see this place in ruins again."

"We were bound to come back here sometime," Hermione said, "But you're right. I never thought I'd have to see this place in a wreck again."

Hermione's eyes caught Hagrid carrying Brady Sexton across the hall with the greatest respect. Hermione sniffled and buried her head into Ron's shoulder.

"Do you want to say goodbye to him?" Ron asked.

Hermione nodded. Ron stood up and helped Hermione up. They walked across the Great Hall.

"Hey, you two," Hagrid said, "Gla' to see you're 'kay."

"You too, Hagrid," Ron said.

Hermione kneeled down at Brady's head.

"You knew 'im?" Hagrid asked.

Hermione nodded.

"He was my boss," she said.

"Oh, 'Ermione," Hagrid said, "I'm sorry."

Hermione felt Hagrid's large hand pat her shoulder.

"I don't even know why he came here," Hermione said, sniffling, "He said he wanted to help, but he's no fighter. He fights – he fought with words, not his wand."

"He wanted to help," Ron said, "It was his school."

Hermione nodded and felt tears come to her eyes.

"Goodbye, Brady," Hermione said, "I only knew you for a few months, but you're one of the greatest friends I've ever had. I'm sorry."

Hermione leaned down to him and kissed his forehead. She then stood up, and Ron put his arm around her. She buried her head into Ron's neck.

"Come on," Ron said, "What say we get out of here for a while?"

Hermione nodded and they walked out of the Great Hall. Harry and Ginny were sitting on the stairs that headed up to the Grand Staircase; Ginny had her head on Harry's shoulder. Ron and Hermione walked over to them, and sat down near them.

"You going somewhere?" Harry asked.

Ron shrugged.

"Thought about going home," he said, "for a while at least. We both need our sleep."

Hermione nodded in agreement.

"Kingsley's planning a big funeral tomorrow," Harry said, "Or... I guess I should say today."

"Then we should stay," Hermione said.

"No, it won't be for quite a few hours," Harry said, "You two need your sleep. As does Ginny. Take her with you."

"Harry," Ginny said, "You need your sleep too."

"I'm expected to be here, Ginny," Harry said, "You need sleep. You've been through a rough night."

"Do you honestly think I'm going to get any sleep if you're not there?" Ginny asked.

Harry sighed.

"Fine," Harry said, "Let me go find out if I'm needed for anything."

"We'll wait up for you," Ron said, "You can sleep at the Burrow tonight."

Harry stood up and Ginny walked with him into the Great Hall. Hermione sighed and put her head back on Ron's shoulder.

"You okay?" Ron asked.

"I will be," Hermione said, "As long as you're here."

"I'll never leave you, Hermione," Ron said, "Ever."

Hermione looked up at Ron and kissed him.

"I love you," Ron said.

"I love you too," Hermione said, "Always."

-  
**Told you this chapter would be short! It was just an aftermath chapter showing you what happened after the battle.**

**Epilogue starts next!**


	70. Epilogue Part I: Butterfly Kisses

**Epilogue Part 1:  
Butterfly Kisses**

**(May 2nd, 2000)  
**

**(Hermione's PoV) **

_I do. I do._

Hermione looked at herself in the mirror, though she had no control of anything. Not the make-up that was being applied to her face. Not how much nail polish was being applied to her fingernails. Not the nerves racing through her body, and threatening to make her faint at any moment. Ginny and Fleur were in control of the first two respectively, and Hermione had no idea what was in control of the last one.

She was currently sitting in Ginny's old bedroom in the Burrow, in her underclothes that she would wear under the wedding dress. Today was the day she had been waiting for. And she had been waiting for it for... well... for a bloody long time. Today she would be walking down the aisle and finally become Mrs. Ronald Weasley.

"Is this really necessary?" Hermione asked. "I'm going to look so plain out there with all the decorations."

"You don't even know what the decorations look like," Ginny said.

That was true. She hadn't been allowed out of the house at all that day. All the windows were shut in the Burrow, and she had been dragged away from the windows when ever she tried to open one.

"You will not look plain!" Fleur piped up in a very French accent, "Not if I have the final say!"

"Everyone looks plain next to you, Fleur," Hermione said.

"Not you," Fleur said, "Not today. No, ma'am!"

"Not too much make-up yet, Fleur," Ginny said, "She still needs to get her dress on. We don't it ruined with make-up. Not when everyone will be looking at it and her."

"Don't remind me," Hermione said.

Ginny smacked Hermione's hand lightly. Hermione scowled.

_I do. I do._

Hermione looked at herself in the mirror. She had been repeating those two words all day to herself. She didn't want to forget them when the moment came.

"Okay!" Ginny said, "Up!"

Hermione stood up and walked into the center of the room. Ginny flicked her wand and Hermione's wedding dress floated out of the tiny closet and above Hermione's head.

"Hands up and legs out!" Ginny said.

"You're awfully bossy for a bridesmaid," Hermione said.

Ginny grinned. She then lowered her wand and the dress floated down toward Hermione and slipped over her head and body. Hermione moved her arms gently into the holes.

"You can do this to me all you want at my wedding," she said. "Fleur. Her back."

Fleur went to Hermione's back and started to tie the back of Hermione's dress up.

"You don't even know when you're getting married, Gin," Hermione said, hissing slightly as Fleur tightened one of the straps on her dress with some force.

"That's not the point," Ginny said, then looked around. "Now where is that – that – Muggle thing?"

"What Muggle thing?" Hermione asked.

"For your leg," Ginny asked.

"Oh, the garter," Hermione said, "On the bed."

Ginny walked over to the bed and found the small garter.

"I can't believe that isn't a wizard tradition," Hermione said.

"I wouldn't be caught with this!" Ginny said, picking up the garter and kneeling toward Hermione.

"You say that now," Hermione said, lifting up her leg, as Ginny slid the garter up it, "Wait until you see what it is used for."

"Like Ron knows what it is for," Ginny said, rolling her eyes.

"So you do know what it is for, eh?" Hermione asked, grinning.

"Mum's not the only one who read those Muggle wedding books," Ginny said, "I figured it out and it sounds rather embarrassing."

Hermione grinned.

"Sit," Ginny ordered.

Hermione returned to her chair. She looked at the wedding dress. It was pearly-white and seemed to sparkle all over.

Ginny started on Hermione's hair, while Fleur continued the make-up.

"Sleak-Eazy?" Ginny suggested, lifting up the bottle.

"Can it be avoided?" Hermione asked.

Ginny gave Hermione a look and she knew the answer.

"Of course not," Hermione said, "Go for it."

The bedroom door opened, and Angelina walked in, then closed the door quickly. Hermione grinned as she looked at Angelina's bridesmaid dress in the mirror's reflection. They had chosen a white-gold color for the dresses, though it wasn't pearl-white like Hermione's wedding dress.

"They're here," Angelina said.

"He's back?" Hermione said.

A couple hours ago, Ron had gone with his father via Floo Powder to pick up Hermione's parents. They had agreed via owl post that her parents would come via car and not by magical means. It had been planned that Mr. Weasley would drive Hermione's father's car back to the Burrow.

"Don't let him in here!" Ginny hissed.

"Relax," Angelina said, "He went straight up to his room to get ready. I believe his words were 'I don't need a Bat-Bogey Hex to go with my tuxedo' if I remember right."

"Your brother knows you too well, Ginny," Hermione said.

"Can I help?" Angelina asked.

"You can do her hair," Ginny said, "It is rather complicated and I need to go get my dress on."

"Good idea," Fleur said, "I need to get my dress on too."

"My hair is not complicated!" Hermione scoffed, as Ginny walked out of the bedroom.

Angelina snickered. She looked in the mirror and Hermione gave her a rather fake smile.

"Nervous?" Angelina asked.

"Is it obvious?" Hermione asked.

"Don't worry," Angelina said, "I felt the same way on my wedding day. But you know what..."

"What?" Hermione asked.

"I got through it!" Angelina said, "And so will you."

Hermione nodded.

_I do. I do._

Hermione rolled her eyes. There were those words again. Angelina snickered.

"I know that look," she said, "Those two simple words feel like essays, don't they?"

"You got that right," Hermione said.

Angelina smiled. The door opened and Hermione's mother walked in. She shut the door behind her.

"Oh, Hermione!" Helen said, tears sparkling in her eyes, "You look amazing!"

"Hi, Mum," Hermione said.

"She's not done yet, Mrs. Granger," Angelina said.

"Mum, this is Angelina," Hermione said, "She's married to one of Ron's brothers, and she's one of my bridesmaids."

"Pleasure to meet you," Helen said.

"You too, Mrs. Granger," Angelina said, "Head still, Hermione."

"Your father is talking with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley," Helen said, "He said he'd be up here when you're ready to go down."

Hermione nodded.

"Are you nervous?" Helen asked.

"This chair is the only thing keeping me from fainting," Hermione said.

"And your bridesmaids!" Angelina said.

"That too," Hermione said.

-  
(**Ron's PoV)**

Ron stared at himself in the mirror. His tuxedo lay untouched on his bed.

The day he had been waiting for was finally there. He hadn't seen Hermione for almost a day now. One of Hermione's apparent traditions for the Muggle part of her wedding was that Ron couldn't see his bride for twenty-four hours before the wedding. He guessed that the tradition was probably a Muggle superstition, but he thought it was rather lame. How anyone, Muggle or wizard, could stay from their bride-to-be for a whole day was beyond him. He had missed her like crazy.

Suddenly, there was a knock on his door.

"Door's open," Ron said, "Unless you're Hermione. Even then, you can come in."

The door opened, and Harry poked his head in.

"Just me," he said.

"Get in here," Ron said, grinning.

Harry smiled and walked in, then closed the door behind him.

"I wasn't aware you were wearing normal clothes to your wedding," Harry said, "Makes me regret putting this tux on."

"Haven't gotten dressed yet," Ron said, looking back in the mirror.

"Ah," Harry said, "Nerves."

"Right, mate," Ron said, "Got a tonic?"

"Not even a Lucky Potion," Harry said. "Though I don't think you need that today, do you?"

"No," Ron said, shaking his head and chuckling.

"I didn't think so," Harry said.

"Wouldn't work for me today anyway," Ron said, "I already feel like the luckiest bloke in the world."

Harry grinned.

"Less than two hours, Harry," Ron said, inhaling and exhaling, "I've been counting down to this for weeks now, and I'm down to two hours."

"Strange to think about," Harry said, "Seems like yesterday you were calling Hermione names because she corrected you in Charms Class."

"I've been thinking about those days a lot," Ron said, "All day, actually. Including the ride here bringing Hermione's parents."

"That must have been awkward," Harry said.

"Only for a few minutes," Ron said. "I swear Hermione's father wanted to talk to me about something. Then Dad started asking him about Muggle stuff."

"Relax," Harry said, "He was probably just welcoming you to the family."

Ron sighed, then hugged Harry, who laughed at his sudden movement.

"I'm getting married, mate!" Ron said, laughing, "Oh! Almost forgot."

He walked over to the top drawer of his dresser and opened it. He reached toward the back and pulled out a small mahogany box. He looked inside. A golden wedding ring with a diamond on the top was resting in it. Ron then walked back over to Harry.

"Don't lose this, Harry," he said.

Harry looked in the box and grinned.

"It's gorgeous, mate," Harry said.

"Been passed down from my family for generations," Ron said.

Another knock was heard on the door.

"It's open," Ron said.

The door opened and Bill walked in.

"I'll just leave for a bit," Harry said, "See you under the marquee, mate."

Harry smiled and walked out of the room.

"Not dressed yet, little brother?" Bill asked, shutting the door behind him.

"Not yet," Ron said.

Bill took a large brown envelope out of his pocket and handed it to Ron.

"I was going to wait until after the wedding," Bill said, "But I think you might be too occupied."

Ron grinned and opened the envelope. He pulled out a large sheet of parchment and his eyes sparkled as he read it.

"Bill," Ron said, looking from the parchment to his brother, "This is -"

"The deed to Shell Cottage," Bill said, nodding, "I'm giving you and Hermione the house. Mine and Fleur's wedding present to the two of you."

"But -" Ron said, "What about you guys?".

"Relax," Bill said, "We're moving back in here. It is better than us having to drive here just so Mum can see us."

"Oh," Ron said, "Bill, this –"

Ron walked over to his brother and hugged him.

"You and Hermione need a new house," Bill said, "Newlyweds don't need to be holed up with the groom's parents."

"Thanks, Bill," Ron said, "I'm sure Hermione will love it."

"Keep her happy, mate," Bill said, "The two of you deserve each other."

"I know we do," Ron said.

"I'll just let you get dressed," Bill said, "Good luck, Ron. See you under the marquee."

Ron nodded. Bill walked out of the room and shut the door behind him. Ron inhaled and looked back at his reflection in the mirror. Less than two hours...

"Here goes nothing," Ron said.

He walked over to the bed and started to get dressed.

-  
**(Hermione's PoV)**

"And... finished!" Ginny said.

"C'est magnifique!" Fleur said.

An hour later, Hermione stood up and twirled around, looking at herself in the mirror. Her mother was crying quietly on the bed, as she had been doing for a few minutes while she watched her daughter getting prepared. She stood up and Hermione hugged her gently, trying not to mess up her make-up.

There was a gentle tap on the door. Angelina walked over to it and opened.

"Your father, Hermione," she said.

"We'll just be outside, Hermione," Ginny said.

Hermione nodded. Ginny, Fleur, and Angelina walked out. Hermione's father walked in, and sighed when he saw his daughter standing there. He shook his head and grinned.

"Beautiful," he said.

"Thank you, Daddy," Hermione said.

"I'll see you soon, darling," Helen said, "Good luck."

Hermione nodded. Helen walked out of the room.

"You look very handsome," Hermione said to her father.

"Ron's mother got to me," Richard said. "Something about adding a witch's touch. But who cares what I look like. Everyone will be looking at you."

Hermione grinned and blushed. Richard shook his head and chuckled.

"Something wrong?" Hermione asked.

"Was just thinking about the day you were born," Richard said. "Holding this tiny little baby in my arms and now here you are, getting married!"

Richard shook his head and Hermione saw tears in her father's eyes.

"Daddy, don't cry," she said, "You'll make me cry, and you'll have to face the wrath of Fleur."

Richard chuckled and nodded.

"It's just..." he said, "If anyone would have told me on that day where we'd be in twenty and a half years, I'd suggest them a good psychiatrist."

Hermione grinned. She then heard Ron's muffled voice outside her door. He was laughing about something, though it was a nervous laugh. She then heard his footsteps descend down the stairs. Hermione inhaled and fanned herself off with her hand.

"Almost time," she whispered, "Oh, bloody hell."

"Don't let your mother hear you say that," Richard said.

"I won't," Hermione said.

"Though today she might let it slide," Richard said.

"How was she on the day of your wedding?" Hermione asked.

"As nervous as you are," Richard said, "and just as beautiful."

He sighed and had a far-off look in his eyes.

"And now I know how her father – your grandfather - felt," Richard said, "He was very silent that day. He might have said a handful of words to me."

"Be nice to Ron, Daddy," Hermione said, "I love him more than you can imagine."

"Any man who can get that look out of my daughter's eyes when she thinks about him," Richard said, "Deserves all the nice words I can give him."

Hermione smiled. Suddenly, there was a light tapping sound on the door. It opened slightly. Ginny was standing there.

"It's time," she said, grinning.

Hermione nodded quickly. Richard offered his arm and Hermione took it. They walked to the door. Luna was standing next to Ginny. Her eyes sparkled when she looked at Hermione. Hermione waved to her.

"We'll put your veil on when we get outside," Ginny said.

Hermione nodded. She looked at the stairs. They looked very lethal all of a sudden.

"Don't let me fall, Daddy," Hermione said.

"Never, honey," Richard said.

Hermione took the first step down the stairs, then the next, counting as she did though she couldn't quite remember how many there were. Finally, she made it down the stairs without falling. They walked out the kitchen door and started off toward the large white marquee. Ginny, Fleur and Angelina were walking ahead of them. Hermione heard a light scurry of feet and saw Crookshanks racing out the door.

"Almost forgot somebody," Richard said, chuckling as Crookshanks led them all toward the marquee.

Hermione grinned. As they got closer to the marquee, Hermione could see Mrs. Weasley escorting Ron down the aisle, accompanied by some beautiful music. Hermione couldn't see Ron's face behind Mrs. Weasley, though she could just make out his ginger hair.

"You ready?" Richard asked.

Hermione smiled and pecked her father on the cheek.

"Yeah, Daddy," she said, as they arrived at the back of the marquee, "I believe I am."

-  
**Had to leave it there! The wedding and the after party is in the next chapter!**

**I really loved this chapter. Made me grin! Hope you liked it too! By the way, a Butterfly Kiss is a brief kiss on the cheek. Butterfly Kisses, the title of this story, and chapter, is inspired by a song about a father and daughter on the day of her wedding.**

**One more chapter left! Whew!**


	71. Epilogue Part II: The Wedding

**Epilogue Part II  
Ron and Hermione's Wedding**

**(May 2nd, 2000)**

**(Ron's PoV – A few minutes earlier)**

Ron was sitting on his bed looking at himself in the mirror. There was a knock on his bedroom door. He looked up at the door and sighed.

"It's open," he said.

The door opened and Harry stood there.

"It's time," Harry said, grinning.

Ron inhaled and nodded. He stood up and straightened his tuxedo, then followed Harry out the door. As he walked down the stairs, he saw Ginny, and Luna waiting outside the bedroom where Hermione was currently in. Ron stared at the bedroom door for a few moments.

"How does she look?" he whispered.

"Can't you wait to know for a few more minutes, Ron?" Ginny asked.

"It is bad luck to know how the bride looks before the wedding, Ronald," Luna said.

"I thought that was something only Muggles worried about," Ron said.

"Oh, no," Luna said, shaking her head, "definitely not."

Ron chuckled nervously.

"Just forget I said anything then," he said.

Harry led him down the stairs, where Bill and George were standing with Fleur and Angelina.

"Ready, little brother?" Bill asked.

"I think so," Ron said, nodding.

"Of course he is!" Mrs. Weasley said, walking into the room.

Ron could see tears already sparkling in his mother's eyes. She walked over to Ron and hugged him.

"My little boy!" she said, chuckling, "All grown up and getting married!"

"Not unless we get him to the marquee, Mum," George said.

"Er... right!" Mrs. Weasley said, backing away.

Ron offered his arm and his mother took it. Harry, George and Bill walked ahead of them and they all headed out of the house. Mr. Weasley was waiting just outside.

"Is he ready?" he asked his wife.

"Just a bit nervous," Mrs. Weasley said.

Ron's father smiled and looked at him.

"Always happens," he said, "I was quite nervous when I was in your position."

Ron smiled and nodded. He then walked with his mother toward the marquee, following his best men. Soon he arrived at the back of the marquee.

"Boys," Mrs. Weasley said, "You'll wait for the bridesmaids. Ron and I will go first."

"Of course, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said, then looked up at Ron. "Good luck, mate."

"Got the ring?" Ron muttered.

Harry smiled and pat the coat pocket. His eyes went wide and he then pat the other coat pocket and looked relieved. Harry chuckled and Ron just rolled his eyes. Ron's mother waved her wand and the music started. The guests who were sitting and chatting to each other all turned around. Ron inhaled.

"Baby steps, Ronald," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Yes, Mum," Ron said, quietly.

Ron stepped forward with his mother, slowly down the aisle.

"Never thought he'd get married!" Auntie Muriel whispered to anyone who would listen, "Always thought he'd be the old, single one in the family."

Ron's mother cleared her throat. Auntie Muriel stopped talking.

"Did we have to invite her?" Ron whispered to his mother.

"I forgot to take her off the guest list," Mrs. Weasley whispered back, "I promise you she'll behave."

Ron looked over his mother's head, and saw Hermione's bridesmaids walking across the lawn. Before he could see Hermione, however, his mother looked up at him.

"Ron, no peeking yet," Mrs. Weasley said, "Good things come to those who wait."

"Yes, Mum," Ron said, looking forward.

They finally arrived at the end of the aisle. Ron looked at his mother, and she smiled, tears pooling in her eyes.

"My little boy!" she whispered.

"Oh, Mum," he said, grinning.

He hugged his mother and she backed away and smiled. She then walked over to her seat. Ron walked to his position near the podium and looked down the aisle. His father was walking down the aisle with Hermione's mother. Near the back, the bridesmaids were walking toward his best men. Ron inhaled. It was almost time...

**(Hermione's PoV)**

When Hermione and her father arrived, she saw Harry, George and Bill waiting at the back of the marquee. Ginny walked over to Hermione and helped her put the veil on. As the veil covered her face, Hermione noticed Harry give her a look and she chuckled and waved to him. He smiled and took Ginny's hand. More music started, and the best men and bridesmaids started down the aisle; Harry and Ginny; George and Angelina; Bill and Fleur, and Luna all alone; Ron's fourth best man position was empty, in memory of his brother, Fred. From the reactions of everyone in the room, Hermione knew that there had been no wonder why Luna was walking alone down the aisle.

Then the traditional Muggle wedding march started to play. A few of the guests looked at each other sort of odd, as they stood up.

"Let me guess," Richard muttered to Hermione, "Wizards don't know this song."

Hermione chuckled and shook her head.

"Here we go, Daddy," she said.

Richard nodded and Hermione could tell he was just as nervous as she was. They walked together, one foot in front of the other.

Hermione looked around at the guests. On one side was many of the Weasleys, though she barely knew any of them by name. On the other side, were many of her friends from Hogwarts, including Draco Malfoy and Astoria Greengrass. Draco's eyes brightened when he caught sight of Hermione. A few professors were there as well, including Professors McGonagall and Flitwick, and Hagrid; the latter, in an oversized chair, and he already had tears in his eyes as he grinned at Hermione.

Hermione then inhaled and looked down the aisle at Ron. Ron's eyes sparkled as he looked at Hermione. Hermione smiled back at him. He looked so handsome in his tuxedo. Harry whispered something to Ron, and Ron nodded and chuckled.

Finally, Hermione and her father reached the end of the aisle. Hermione's father lifted the veil and kissed Hermione on her cheek. She smiled and Richard walked over next to his wife and sat down. Hermione noticed that her mother and Mrs. Weasley already had tears in their eyes. Hermione then walked up to Ron.

"You look absolutely stunning," Ron whispered, "And if anyone says differently, I'll hex them."

Hermione smiled and took Ron's hand. Kingsley Shacklebolt walked up to podium in front of them. They had decided that the Minister would lead the ceremony, given that he was on the guest list anyway.

Kingsley cleared his throat and put his wand to his lips.

"We are gathered here in magical matrimony to unite two families as one," he said, "This date not only marks a wedding, but also an anniversary. An anniversary of the day the wizarding world changed. This gathering of family and friends to unite two souls together, reminds us that the wizarding world has changed for the better. I met these two young ones standing in front of me today when our world was in the middle of dark times. And to see that their friendship and love survived and thrived after those dark times makes me realize that maybe there was light in those dark times as well."

Kingsley smiled and looked at Ron and Hermione.

"Ron and Hermione have both written their own vows for each other," Kingsley said, "to go with the traditional vows. If they can, I request them to give those vows now. Ron?"

Ron turned and faced toward Hermione. Hermione smiled when she could see Ron taking a deep breath.

"Hermione," Ron said, "The day I met you, I was already prepared to go through many changes in my life. I was starting at Hogwarts, and before then I had hardly been away from the Burrow for as long as I would be. I was nervous as they come to start school, and then you walked in to where I was sitting on the train, and by the time you left, you hadn't helped my nerves one bit."

Hermione grinned. Behind Ron, Harry chuckled softly. Hermione glared at him, and he sobered up. Hermione then looked back at Ron.

"As I watched you being sort into Gryffindor," Ron continued, "I thought to myself 'am I going to have to deal with this girl for seven years?'. The thought was strange at first. But standing here now, I look back at that eleven year-old kid, and I wonder what I could say if I could meet him again. I wonder if he would believe me when I would tell him that during those seven years of his life that he would know Hermione Granger, he'll soon come to realize, seven years isn't enough time to spend with her. Not at all."

Ron smiled at Hermione. .

"So today I ask you, Hermione," he continued, "to remember those seven years we spent when we were going through some of the biggest changes we'd ever go through. I ask you look back on what we've been through together since that fateful day we met in a cramped room on the Hogwarts Express. And..."

He turned slightly and looked at Harry. Harry took a small maroon box from his pocket and Ron took something from it. He then turned and looked back at Hermione.

"...I ask you to join me," Ron said, putting the ring on Hermione's finger, "as we continue down this path together and we go through many more changes in our lives."

Hermione felt a tear in her eye as she looked at the ring on her hand. It looked so beautiful.

Ron looked up at Kingsley.

"Hermione?" Kingsley asked.

Hermione inhaled and exhaled as she tried to remember what she was going to say.

"I see myself as someone who usually thinks about stuff before doing it," she said. "I'm book-smart. I usually plan out things and don't like finishing them until I know they're done right. I get upset when they're not perfectly done and everything is correct. But with you, Ron, I find that I am completely different. I take chances. I take risks. I let things happen as they go, and sometimes I don't care about the outcome. But that doesn't seem strange to me... at all."

Hermione smiled and looked down at Ron's hands.

"Nobody knows what is going to happen when they get into commitments like this," she said. "It can be a very frightening situation to even think about, to be completely honest. But I can't see myself doing this with anyone but you. Because we've already been through so much together, and I feel like I can be myself and anyone I want to be around you, because I know that is what you want for me."

Hermione turned to Ginny, who offered a small maroon pillow. The ring laying on it had been her grandfather's, and had been passed down from him to her father, and to finally Hermione to give to Ron. Hermione picked it up and turned to Ron, who smiled and offered his hand.

"And now I ask," Hermione said, as she put the ring on his hand, "if you will be with me through everything that should happen to us."

Ron looked down at his ring, then looked up at Hermione, who smiled. She then looked up at Kingsley.

"Do you," Kingsley said, looking at Ron, "Ronald Billius take Hermione Jean to be your wife in magical commitment for as long as you both shall live?"

Ron looked at Hermione, and smiled. He nodded.

"I do," Ron said.

He exhaled and grinned.

"Do you," Kingsley said, looking at Hermione, "Hermione Jean take Ronald Billius to be your husband in magical commitment for as long as you both shall live."

Hermione looked at Ron, her eyes staring into his.

"I do," she said, nodding.

She grinned and Ron chuckled.

"Mr. and Mrs. Weasley?" Kingsley said, looking at Ron's parents, "I believe you requested something during this time?"

Ron's parents stood up and walked over to Ron and Hermione. Ron took Hermione's hands and put them up. Mr. Weasley and Mrs. Weasley each put one hand on Ron and Hermione's hands and took out their wands. They both muttered some words under their breath, and ropes of gold lights streamed from their wands and circled around Hermione and Ron's hands, Hermione instantly felt warmth take over her whole body. It felt wonderful. Her fingers and toes tingled. It felt as if her own soul was warming up to their touch. Hermione gasped as she realized what was going on: the magical bond that was in their blood and Ron's blood had now been passed onto Hermione. She felt tears in her eyes. She had never felt anything like this before.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley then looked at both Ron and Hermione and walked back to their seats, standing up.

"Wizards and witches, Squibs and Muggles alike," Kingsley said, "As Minister of Magic, it is my honor and privilege to present to you Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Billius Weasley."

He then looked at Ron and Hermione.

"You may kiss the bride," he said, smiling.

Ron lifted up Hermione's veil and Hermione felt Ron's hands caress her cheeks as he leaned in and kissed her. Hermione returned the kiss, and felt tears pouring down her cheeks. As she was kissing him, she heard chairs move and applause fill the tent. Harry and Ginny cleared their throats, and Ron chuckled against Hermione's lips and backed up. Hermione grinned and wiped the tears from her eyes and looked at her parents and extended family and friends.

"If everyone will remain standing," Kingsley said.

He lifted his wand and the chairs behind each of the guests floated up in the air and moved aside around the marquee. Tables appeared around the area, and the marquee's walls opened up to the elements. The floor below them turned gold and silver and sparkled. Waiters popped up carrying trays of drink and food, and they walked into the marquee.

Ron took Hermione's hand and they walked out into the center of the floor. Slow beautiful music started to play

"May I have this dance?" Ron asked.

Hermione nodded and grinned and put her arms around his neck. Ron put his arms around her back. The guests around them formed a big circle.

"How are you feeling?" Ron asked, "Mrs. Weasley?"

Hermione chuckled.

"That will take some time to get used to," she said, blushing.

"We have enough time," Ron said, grinning.

"I don't know how to feel right now," Hermione said, "My dreams have come true. I can say that much. I'm speechless."

"You're not the only one," Ron said.

Hermione smiled and leaned in to kiss Ron. Around them more couples started onto the dance floor.

"I love you, Ron," Hermione said.

"That's why we're here," Ron said, chuckling, "I love you too, Hermione."

"Hello, newlyweds!" Harry's voice said, behind Hermione.

Hermione moved Ron around so they could get a better view of Harry, who was dancing with Ginny.

"Congratulations, you two!" Ginny said, "I'd hug you, but I don't think you want to leave his arms."

Hermione blushed and grinned.

"Not yet," she said, shaking her head.

"Maybe not ever," Ron said.

"My father's going to want to dance with me," Hermione said. "Tradition."

"I'm sure my mother will pester me before too long," Ron said, grinning.

Hermione smiled and kissed him again. She then lay her head on his shoulder.

"Then let's make this last," she said.

"You better," Ron said, "After making me not see you for a full day."

"A full day?" Hermione asked, raising her head, "Is that why you didn't come to see me yesterday."

"The groom can't see the bride for a full day before the wedding," Ron said.

"The day of the wedding, Ron!" Hermione said, "Before the wedding! That doesn't mean a full day."

Ron frowned.

"Next time make that more clear," he said.

"There won't be a next time," Hermione reminded him, "You're mine for forever."

"I hoped you would say that," Ron said.

Bill and Fleur made their way over to them.

"Congratulations, little brother!" Bill said, putting his hand up to Ron to rub his hair.

Ron scowled.

"Thanks," he said.

"Welcome to the family, Hermione," Bill said, "Or should I say, sister-in-law."

Hermione grinned and blushed.

"Thanks, Bill," she said.

"You're welcome," Bill said, "And you're welcome for the gift."

"The gift?" Hermione asked.

"You didn't tell her yet?" Bill asked Ron.

"Hadn't gotten around to it yet!" Ron said.

"Tell me what?" Hermione asked.

"We're the proud new owners of Shell Cottage," Ron said.

Hermione's jaw dropped. She looked at Ron, then over at Bill and Fleur.

"You're serious?" Hermione asked, "He's serious?"

"Yep," Bill said, grinning.

"Oh, my gosh!" Hermione said, "Are you sure?"

"One-hundred percent," Bill said.

"It is ze perfect house for newlyweds," Fleur said, "Charmant!"

"Thank you!" Hermione said.

Bill grinned and he moved away with Fleur.

"Oh, my gosh," Hermione said, looking at Ron, "When did he tell you?"

"While I was getting ready," Ron said, grinning.

"I can't believe this!" Hermione said, "This is brilliant! When do we move in?"

"We can wait till after the honeymoon," Ron said.

'You still haven't told me where we're going," Hermione said, pouting.

"That's my surprise for you," Ron said.

"Oh!" Hermione said, "I almost forgot. Bend down."

"What?" Ron asked, chuckling.

"Bend down," Hermione repeated.

Ron raised an eyebrow and did as he was told. Hermione lifted up her dress a little.

"On my leg," Hermione said, blushing.

Ron chuckled and found the garter. He slipped it off Hermione's leg.

"Everyone's staring, Hermione," Ron whispered, "What do I do with this?"

"Toss it," Hermione said, "Into the crowd."

"Muggle tradition," Ron said, "I suppose?"

Hermione grinned and Ron tossed the garter behind them. Hermione grinned when Harry caught it. Harry blushed and Ron looked at Hermione.

"What does that mean?" he asked.

"Whoever caught it is the next to get married," Hermione said.

"Harry," Ron said, "And my sister... great."

"My turn," Hermione said.

She pointed her wand at the bouquet near the podium and it flew over to her. She grinned and threw it behind her. Hermione turned and laughed when Luna caught her.

"Same as the garter," Hermione explained to Ron.

Luna smiled at the flowers, then looked at Rolf. He laughed as she hugged him.

"I think she knows what that means," Ron said, grinning.

Hermione smiled. Over Ron's shoulder, she saw her father walking over to them.

"Daddy's dance," Hermione said, backing away from Ron, "Won't be too long."

Hermione smiled and kissed Ron again.

"I'll... just go find my Mum," Ron said.

Hermione's father reached her.

"May I have this dance, Daddy?" Hermione asked him.

"Thought you'd never ask," Richard said.

Hermione grinned and put her arms around her father's neck.

"So?" Richard asked, "How do you feel?"

"Well," Hermione said, "I'm not nervous anymore. You?"

"The events of the day are slowly trying to catch up to me," Richard said, "I was just talking to Ron's parents. Always wanted to be part of a big family."

"This one's pretty big!" Hermione said, chuckling.

"Arthur was explaining to me and your Mum," Richard said, "what he and Molly did during the ceremony. Or at least he tried to..."

"Long story, Daddy," Hermione said, "Ancient family tradition. Old magic."

"Old magic," Richard echoed, "Promise you won't forget your non-magical history now that your officially part of a wizarding family?"

"Never," Hermione said.

Richard smiled and Hermione saw tears in her father's eyes.

"Don't cry, Daddy," she said.

"My baby girl," Richard said, "All grown up and changing her last name."

"I'll always be your little girl," Hermione said.

Richard nodded. Hermione smiled and looked over her father's shoulder as they spun around. Ron was dancing with his mother, who had many tears in her eyes. Ron caught Hermione's eye and he grinned at her. A few minutes later, Harry walked up.

"Can Harry cut in, Daddy?" Hermione asked.

Richard nodded. Hermione kissed his cheek and saw more tears in her father's eyes. Her father grinned as he backed up, walking back into the crowd. Hermione put her arms around Harry.

"So, a Weasley!" Harry said, grinning.

"Yep," Hermione said, chuckling.

"I'm so happy for you and Ron," Harry said, "My two best friends in the world together."

"Forever," Hermione said, nodding.

"I remember when I wondered if you two would get together," Harry said, "Probably sometime back in sixth year. It was kind of scary to think about. I wondered if the relationship between the two of you could last. I thought 'What if it couldn't? Would it get awkward between the two of you?' And then I thought 'Or if it lasted, would it get even more awkward to be around the two of you?'"

Hermione laughed.

"I promise," she said, "No awkwardness."

"You don't have to worry about that anymore," Harry said, "You two are perfect for each other."

"I remember you asking me and Ron during my first kiss with him if it was the moment," Hermione said.

"Can you blame a bloke?" Harry asked, "It was in the middle of a battle!"

Hermione grinned.

"But now that you bring it up," Harry said, "Maybe that was the best place for a first kiss between you two. So random and unpredictable. Kind of like your relationship."

"Random and unpredictable," Hermione said, "Thanks, Harry."

"That is what makes the two of you wonderful for each other," Harry said.

Hermione grinned and hugged her best friend.

"Oi!" Ron's voice said, behind Hermione, "Trying to steal my bride away?"

"Never," Harry said.

"Joking, mate," Ron said.

He grinned and hugged Ron.

"Congratulations, mate," he said, then backed away, "To the both of you."

"Thank you, Harry," Hermione said.

"Thanks," Ron said, grinning.

"I'll just leave you two alone," Harry said.

Harry winked and walked off. Hermione put her arms back around Ron and kissed him once again. Ron returned the kiss and Hermione deepened it.

"Back in your arms," Hermione said.

"I'll never let you go," Ron said.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Hermione said, "I love you, my husband."

"I love you too," Ron said, "My beautiful wife."

Hermione sighed happily, and put her head on Ron's chest. She was finally Mrs. Ronald Weasley. Something she had been wanting for a very long time. She was curious to see where this new path in life would take her and Ron, but for right now, she was completely content with being in his arms on that dance floor. If she had it her way, she'd never let go of him.

And around Ron, she was usually known for getting her way.

**Fin.**

**I started this story way back in early 2009, and it has taken me two and a half years to write it. But for those of you who have stuck with me this whole time, I thank you for that. There were times when it seemed like I was never going to finish this. But I finally did. To all my reviewers, I thank you. Thank you for giving me your kind words and praise for every chapter.**

**For those wondering about a sequel... I have one in mind. It would probably have to do with Ron and Hermione's honeymoon, and it will probably be a lot shorter than this story. If I start it, I'm not sure if I'll finish it and that worries me. I can't really think of a good plot, so I'd have to get one in mind. I have an idea, but I'm not sure if I can roll with it enough to make a good story. We'll see how things go.**

**For now, I thank you again for your kind reviews and hope you enjoyed this story!**

**Thank you all!**


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